Arizona Cardinals Forced To Make Drastic QB Change Following Brutal Preseason Injury To Carson Beck

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

It took one preseason game for Carson Beck to get his ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment. It came in the form of being tackled by even bigger players than he was used to while in college.

In his NFL preseason debut during the Arizona Cardinals Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers, he was dynamic. Beck completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown, earning a stellar 125.4 passer rating.

Not bad for a quarterback that was drafted during the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

He won’t be able to recreate his performance in the next contest.

Arizona Cardinals Sidelined Carson Beck Following Recent Preseason Rib Injury

A significant lineup change ahead of an upcoming preseason football matchup has put young quarterback Carson Beck in the spotlight. The dynamic Arizona signal-caller will officially sit out tonight’s highly anticipated exhibition game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The rookie quarterback sustained a rib injury during last Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game and has dealt with lingering soreness throughout the week.

Team officials have classified the issue as non-serious yet chose to hold him out as a precautionary measure. Beck managed to practice despite the discomfort, but will receive additional recovery time rather than see game action.

The decision prioritizes his long-term availability during the early stages of his professional career. He has been excelling during training camp.

In one game, he is showing that he might be the quarterback of the future.

Beck is Low on The Depth Chart

Missing time during the preseason doesn’t bode well for Beck.

Beck is listed as the third-string quarterback on the Arizona Cardinals depth chart. He is sitting behind starter Jacoby Brissett and backup Gardner Minshew. Getting his play on the field is essential for the coaching staff to evaluate him.

He is coming off an impressive preseason debut in the Hall of Fame Game, in which he completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals aren’t expected to be a very good team in 2026. Should Brissett play terribly or get injured, they would help Beck get closer to playing in actual regular-season games.

During his final collegiate season in 2025 with the Miami Hurricanes, Carson Beck posted highly efficient passing numbers while leading his team to the National Championship Game.

Beck completed 338 of 467 passes for 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.