Carson Beck may be inching closer to a real role in Arizona.
The Cardinals’ third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft has spent every game this season as the emergency third quarterback, but that setup could be in for a change after a rough start for the team. Arizona was blown out by the Detroit Lions in Week 5 and sits at 1-4, leaving the club searching for answers and, maybe, a reason to try something different.
Head coach Mike LaFleur said the team could discuss elevating Beck if it gives Arizona its best chance to win.
“Right now, Gardner (Minshew) is our backup. But if we feel like (Beck being available is) going to give us our best chance to be successful on Sunday, then we’ll certainly have those discussions,” LaFleur said on Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo radio show. “Obviously, he wasn’t yesterday, but that doesn’t mean moving forward he won’t be.”
“We haven’t had those discussions. We’ll have that discussion tomorrow at about noon,” the Cardinals coach continued.
Beck is in his first NFL season after his final college year with the Miami Hurricanes, where he helped lead Miami to the National Championship Game. The Hurricanes fell to the Indiana Hoosiers, who won their first National Championship in football.
For a Cardinals team off to a 1-4 start, the timing makes sense. If Arizona is headed for another lost season, getting a look at Beck could be the kind of move that matters later, especially if he’s part of the long-term picture.
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