The Arizona Cardinals are turning the page at quarterback, and they’re doing it with a rookie.
With Gardner Minshew done for the season after suffering a UCL tear against Seattle in Week 9, Arizona has moved quickly to Carson Beck. ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that the Cardinals are handing the offense to the third-round pick for Sunday’s matchup with the Rams.
Cardinals officially named rookie QB Carson Beck their starter for Sunday’s game vs. the Rams. pic.twitter.com/AvRfj4ISvo
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 11, 2026
For Beck, this is the moment he’s been waiting for since Arizona took him in last May’s NFL Draft. He appeared in the preseason, but Sunday will be his first regular-season snap and his first career start at the NFL level.
The Cardinals’ quarterback room has been thinned out even further with Jacoby Brissett now in Baltimore, leaving Beck as the next man up. Arizona is asking him to step into a difficult spot against a tough LA defense, but the organization clearly believes his background gives him a chance to handle it.
Beck arrives with a long college résumé behind him. He made 43 starts over three seasons with Georgia and Miami, and he went 37-6 in those games. That kind of experience, along with the passer traits scouts viewed as a relatively high floor, helped push him into Arizona’s plans.
Now the soon-to-be 25-year-old gets his first real shot to show the Cardinals he can be more than just a developmental arm. Sunday will tell them a lot.
In Other News...
Notre Dame's Playoff Path Just Got A Lot More Favorable
The latest College Football Playoff rankings reshuffled the top of the bracket in a way that matters well beyond the usual weekly debate. Georgia moved to No. 1, Alabama and UCLA climbed as well, and Notre Dames jump from No. 11 to No. 5 after a key win gave the Irish a much cleaner path into the field. Even the ripple effects reached Indiana, which slid from a first-round bye to a lower seed and lost the chance to host a playoff game.
There was movement elsewhere, too, with the Big 12 getting a modest boost in positioning as BYU held onto a ranking spot despite a loss. Still, the conference has yet to land an at-large CFP team in the current format, which keeps the focus on how much the bracket can still change from here. For Georgia, the top-line takeaway is simple: the Bulldogs are sitting at No. 1, but the seeding picture around them is shifting fast. [Read more 🡒]
Georgias First SEC Availability Report Leaves Key Questions For Missouri
The first SEC availability report for Georgias matchup with Missouri offered an early look at how Kirby Smarts defense and depth chart are shaping up heading into the week. Defensive lineman Joshua Horton was listed as questionable, while outside linebacker Amaris Williams was ruled out, and several other Georgia players, including Ellis Robinson and Craig Dandridge, were not listed because of injuries. Smart also provided updates on Chauncey Bowens and Tyriq Green, adding another layer to a report that already hinted at some shuffling before kickoff.
Missouri has its own injury concern to monitor, with wide receiver Cayden Lee also not listed because of a knee injury. For Georgia, the report does not settle much beyond the fact that availability could remain fluid as the game approaches, especially along the defensive front and at key depth spots. The first report rarely tells the whole story, but it did make clear that both teams still have a few important questions to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Faces A New SEC Twist With Ranked Missouri Visiting
With the SEC championship game set to disappear when the College Football Playoff expands in 2027, Kirby Smart has already weighed in on one of the conferences biggest coming changes. Georgia, which is sitting atop the SEC standings, now turns its attention to a ranked Missouri team coming to Athens, a matchup that carries more than usual weight in a season where the leagues old title-game path is about to change.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz has made clear he has concerns about what the SEC will look like without that extra championship showcase, and his team arrives with enough talent to make the conversation feel timely. Quarterback Austin Simmons, top rusher Jamal Roberts and receiver Cayden Lee give the Tigers real offensive pieces to work with, though Lee is coming back from a knee injury and the report so far is encouraging, with no structural damage. [Read more 🡒]
