A quiet offseason quarterback battle in Arizona may be getting louder.
Trey McBride recently praised rookie Carson Beck, the Cardinals’ 2026 third-round draft pick, but he also made it clear he expected a major twist before Beck could jump Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II on the depth chart. McBride said that “something crazy” would have to happen for Beck to open the season as the Week 1 starter.
Now, that “crazy” path looks a little more real.
In an update Friday morning, NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US pointed to Brissett’s absence from the Cardinals’ voluntary spring workouts as a factor that could push the situation in a different direction sooner rather than later. La Canfora wrote, “No one should make too much of the results of any spring practices, but SportsBoom has long heard that the Cardinals selected Carson Beck in the third round to see him play this season before wading into the 2027 quarterback draft. And with starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett skipping essentially all of the team’s offseason work, mired in a contract impasse, Beck made the most of the opportunity.”
That opportunity appears to have mattered. La Canfora said Beck’s work during the offseason program “created a buzz in the Cardinals' locker room,” adding, “He played a ton of college football and bounced around, so he picked up different systems and matured.”
Beck’s college résumé is part of why Arizona may view him as more ready than the average rookie quarterback. He made 43 starts over a six-year college career, giving him a level of experience that stands out for a player still trying to carve out his NFL role.
La Canfora also raised the possibility that Beck’s presence could eventually lead the Cardinals to move on from Brissett before the in-season trade deadline in November. There’s also the chance Brissett could continue to hold out if he’s still unhappy when training camps open later this month. If that happens, Beck would have even more chances to make a case to first-year head coach Mike LaFleur.
The bigger picture is simple: Arizona may be using Beck as a live audition for the future. La Canfora noted that playing him this fall could help the Cardinals decide whether they want to chase a top quarterback prospect in the spring of 2027.
For now, Brissett remains the presumed starter, with Minshew behind him. But unless Brissett reaches an extension over the summer, this is the kind of quarterback situation that could keep shifting.
La Canfora summed up Beck this way: “He has prototypical NFL size and sufficient athleticism and a big enough arm, but decision-making will be an issue until proven otherwise.”
Beck may get his first chance to prove it when Arizona opens the regular season at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 13.
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