The Arizona Cardinals are heading into another offseason of reinvention-and this one feels especially pivotal.
After a brutal 3-14 finish in 2025, the Cardinals hit the reset button, parting ways with head coach Jonathan Gannon and bringing in Mike LaFleur, the offensive-minded coordinator from the Los Angeles Rams. LaFleur’s arrival signals a shift in philosophy, and with that comes the natural question: Is Kyler Murray still the guy under center?
Murray’s 2025 campaign was limited to just five games, and when he was on the field, it was clear he wasn’t operating at the level Arizona needed. Veteran Jacoby Brissett, brought in as a stopgap, actually outperformed Murray in several key areas. That’s not exactly what you want to hear about your franchise quarterback-especially one carrying a massive contract.
Now, with LaFleur bringing in a new system, the Cardinals could be eyeing a fresh start at quarterback. But here’s the catch: this year’s draft class is thin at the position.
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is the clear-cut No. 1, and beyond him, there’s no guarantee another quarterback even sneaks into the first round. That leaves teams like Arizona looking for value deeper in the draft.
Enter Carson Beck.
NFL analyst Chad Reuter has pegged the Cardinals to take Beck with the 65th overall pick in the third round, and it’s an intriguing possibility. Beck, out of Miami, is one of the more debated prospects in this class. He’s not the youngest-he’ll be 24 as a rookie-but he brings something a lot of teams crave: experience and poise.
Beck’s résumé is impressive. A two-time national champion, he’s played against top-tier competition and delivered.
In 2025, he threw for 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while leading the Hurricanes all the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. He topped the ACC in both completion percentage and passer rating, showing a level of efficiency that’s hard to ignore.
Over his college career, Beck racked up more than 11,000 passing yards. He’s not a dual-threat guy, but he’s got a live arm and the accuracy to deliver throws at all three levels.
Stylistically, he’s drawn comparisons to Matthew Stafford-coincidentally someone LaFleur worked closely with during his time in Los Angeles. That kind of familiarity could make Beck a seamless fit in LaFleur’s system.
The upside? Beck’s experience means he might be ready to contribute sooner than the average rookie.
He’s not a developmental project in the traditional sense. The downside?
At 24, there’s a question of how much room there is for growth. He may not have the sky-high ceiling of a younger, rawer prospect.
Still, if Arizona does go this route, Beck wouldn’t be walking into an empty cupboard. He’d have some serious weapons at his disposal-tight end Trey McBride has emerged as a reliable target, and rookie standout Marvin Harrison Jr. is already drawing double coverage. That’s a solid foundation for any young quarterback to build on.
But of course, the elephant in the room is still Kyler Murray.
The financials are daunting. Cutting Murray before June 1 would saddle the Cardinals with a dead cap hit north of $54 million.
Trading him would ease that burden-cutting it in half-but finding a team willing to take on his contract is another story entirely. It’s a massive number, and Murray’s recent performance doesn’t exactly scream “buy low” opportunity.
That leaves the Cardinals with a tough decision. Do they ride it out with Murray for another year and let a rookie like Beck develop behind him? Or do they rip off the bandage, eat the dead money, and turn the page?
Either way, Arizona is clearly in the middle of a rebuild. A new coach.
A new system. And potentially, a new quarterback.
The Carson Beck pick might not be flashy, but it could be the kind of calculated move that pays off in the long run-especially for a franchise looking to finally find some stability under center.