Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (19) reacts during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Should Carson Beck be the starter for the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 of the 2025 season? Well, it seems like the rookie quarterback is hell-bent on proving that he deserves that spot. In the first game of the NFL preseason, Beck got the start for the Cardinals. The former Georgia quarterback showed out big time, performing extremely well in his first taste of NFL action.
While the Cardinals ended up losing the game, one cannot fault Beck for this loss. There have been a lot of surprised reactions from fans, but head coach Mike LaFleur isn't one of those fans who are shocked.
“It's going to be a broken record, the same thing that I keep seeing at practice where he just gets in and out of the huddle and he doesn't make it too big; he just lives by the play,” LaFleur said. “I was proud of the way he played and it's a good first stepping stone for him.”
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“It's the same guy that I felt like you saw watching the tape,” he added, per Bo Brack. “This was a really cool environment. I'm glad that we got to play in this, and you never know if you're ever going to be able to play in one of these again. So, albeit a preseason game, it doesn't count in the win-loss, but it was a cool environment for him to just kind of, you know, ‘Hey, it's just another game', and that's the way he took it, and he's been in big ones.”
Beck finished the game with 188 yards, completing 15 of his 19 passes. He threw a touchdown and did not turn the ball over. Most importantly, the Cardinals quarterback looked composed on the field, calmly leading the Arizona backups through the game. If not for a clutch run from Haynes King, Beck might have finished his first NFL game with a win.
Jacoby Brissett is currently on track to win the QB1 battle, and that's not a bad idea at all. That being said, Beck just showed the Cardinals that he can be at least a serviceable option down the line if things don't go wrong.