Carson Beck to Start Cardinals' Hall of Fame Preseason Game

Rookie quarterback Carson Beck will make his first NFL start in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals are resting regular-season starter Jacoby Brissett and backup Gardner Minshew, giving Beck the opportunity to lead the offense in Thursday’s nationally televised preseason contest.

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Beck, a third-round pick, spent six collegiate seasons at the University of Miami, including an appearance in the national championship game. With the Cardinals’ depth chart cleared for the preseason matchup, fourth-stringer Kedon Slovis could also see snaps, but Beck is expected to handle the majority of the playing time. The Hall of Fame Game is the first of four preseason contests for Arizona and does not affect regular-season standings.

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Hackett noted that Beck has been putting in significant effort and that the team is excited for this first opportunity. Head coach Mike LaFleur has not publicly addressed the quarterback rotation, but the decision aligns with the organization’s plan to evaluate younger talent in preseason play.

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• “I had no clue I was going to start,” — Carson Beck

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• “I think the biggest thing for me, especially just as we're going through training camp and we're still building the chemistry with the guys, is can we be on the same page as an offense? Are my eyes in the right spot? Am I making the right decisions? Am I making the right reads? Am I getting through my progressions quickly?” — Carson Beck

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• “Two coaches that came from that Saban tree and kind of that Saban way of doing things, which is, I mean, your fall camps are just hell,” — Carson Beck

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• “You'll never know if you can make that throw or test [new] things,” — Carson Beck

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Beck describes his preseason approach as “process oriented” rather than “results oriented,” emphasizing trial-and-error to test new throws and refine reads. He highlighted the transition from college to the NFL as “100 percent different,” while crediting his time under coaches linked to the “Saban tree” for preparing him for the rigors of an NFL training camp. By handling the Hall of Fame Game, Beck gains live-game experience, an opportunity to build chemistry with the offense, and a platform to demonstrate the decision-making and cadence control that the coaching staff values.

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