In a perfect world, the Arizona Cardinals would certainly prefer to have Jacoby Brissett running their offense once again as they prepare to host the Los Angeles Rams this week. But the Cardinals are far from that perfect world. Head coach Mike LaFleur’s team benched Brissett for backup quarterback Gardner Minshew against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, and Minshew went on to lead Arizona to a 33-30 overtime win.
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However, heading into the Week 9 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona traded Brissett to the Baltimore Ravens and named Minshew their QB1. In his first game as Arizona’s starter, though, Minshew reportedly suffered a torn UCL in his throwing arm and could miss the rest of the season.
That’s exactly why the Cardinals are now forced to turn to rookie quarterback Carson Beck against the Rams. The development gained momentum following Arizona’s 17-3 loss to the Seahawks.
Minshew went down with an injury on the final play of the first half against the Seahawks, when linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. hit his right arm as he was throwing, forcing a fumble. While Minshew returned to play the rest of the game, he could now miss the remainder of the season.
Subsequently, the Cardinals have placed Minshew on injured reserve ahead of the Week 10 matchup, prompting the team to rely on rookie Carson Beck.
The decision, however, may raise some eyebrows, considering Arizona is already 3-6 heading into its Week 10 matchup and this will be Beck’s first official start in the NFL. For broader context, Beck faced significant criticism after losing to the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
The quarterback completed 19-of-32 for 232 yards and a touchdown. But it was his late fourth-quarter interception that proved to be costly for the Miami Hurricanes. On first-and-10 at the Indiana 41 with less than a minute remaining, Beck threw a deep pass to the left intended for Keelan Marion.
The pass was intercepted by the Hoosiers’ Jamari Sharpe at the Indiana 6. Indiana got the possession, and a couple of plays later, Fernando Mendoza ultimately led the Hoosiers to a 27-21 win over the Hurricanes. What followed after the game, however, drew significant controversy.
After the game, Mendoza looked for a handshake from Beck, who left the field and went straight to the locker room without shaking hands with the opposing quarterback. As that happened, Beck drew significant criticism for his college playoff loss and postgame conduct.
Even when Carson Beck made an appearance at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, he was heavily booed by fans who were still agitated after the loss to the Hoosiers.
And now, he’s expected to start for the Cardinals against the Rams. But at the same time, he is heading into Week 10 of the 2026 season after an impressive performance in the preseason.
In the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, the quarterback completed 15-of-19 passes for 188 passing yards and a lone touchdown, and turned heads with an impressive performance.
His performance certainly sparked a debate about the Cardinals’ quarterback room, especially considering Arizona entered the 2026 season with Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Carson Beck. However, with Brissett now in Baltimore and Minshew on injured reserve, it remains to be seen how the rest of the season will unfold for Arizona with Beck under center.