After so long without football, the NFL Preseason is always exciting to get back on the big screen, even though the early games are sometimes not actually that exciting and can feature a lot of so-so performances. However, that wasn’t the case this year with the Hall of Fame Game. The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers put on a great show to kick off the preseason on Thursday night. One of the standout performers was Cardinals QB Carson Beck, who looked ready to challenge for the starting job and potentially shake up the fantasy football world right away.
Can the rookie really win the job and how would that impact the fantasy football value of his fellow Cardinals? Let’s dive in and take a look.
Should Carson Beck start right away?
The 24-year-old slid to the third-round in last year’s NFL Draft after starring in college at Georgia and Miami, and he was expected to compete for a back-up job behind Jacoby Brissett. Beck came out slinging it on Thursday, though, completing 15 of his 19 pass attempts for 188 yards and a touchdown. He connected on multiple deep passes and fit the ball into tight windows near the goal line.
Beck played well last year for the Miami Hurricanes, leading them to a 13-3 record and the National Championship Game, where they lost to the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers. Beck threw 30 touchdowns in his 16 games and ran for two more. He is older than most rookies, so the team may want to push him to contribute sooner rather than giving him time to develop.
He suffered a torn UCL in 2024, and his arm didn’t look quite as strong last season. However, he has looked good in training camp, according to reports, and it appeared he could make all the throws on Thursday. Maybe he just needed extra time to fully recover.
Earlier this week, the Cardinals re-worked a one-year deal with Jacoby Brissett, who played very well for them last season after Kyler Murray’s injury. At the time, it was assumed that they were signing Brissett to give him the starting job following Murray’s departure this offseason, but his contract doesn’t extend beyond this season and is laden with incentives.
While Brissett is still likely to be the Week 1 starter, Beck’s strong play definitely opened some eyes and could earn him plenty more playing time this preseason. His performance was a great sign to him getting a chance to start some time this season, even if it isn’t right away.
Look for Beck to get plenty of playing time against the Raiders, Cowboys and Packers through the rest of the preseason as he continues to build his case.
What it means for the offense
The Cardinals’ offense is under different leadership in 2026, with a new offensive head coach in Mike LaFleur (who is calling plays) and new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The team has rookie running back Jeremiyah Love and free agent addition Tyler Allgeier to lead the backfield, with James Conner and Trey Benson still in the mix coming off their injuries.
The receiving corps is led by Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, who both showed fantasy potential last season, while Trey McBride is sure to get plenty of targets at tight end, as well. Beck connected well with Jalen Brooks, who finished with 99 yards in the game, and he threw his touchdown to special teams contributor Simi Fohoko.
The Cardinals’ offensive skill players remain solid options to consider at their draft positions with either QB under center. If anything, Beck’s emergence makes them slightly less risky, since there won’t be as steep a drop-off if Brissett struggles or is injured.
If Beck continues to play well and wins the job, his ability to throw the deep ball does raise the ceiling on Harrison, especially, who struggled to find consistency in his two years in Arizona since being the No. 4 overall pick in 2024.
The Bottom Line
Arizona is definitely an offense and a quarterback situation to watch closely since the team looks like they could be involved in plenty of high-scoring contests based on their defense’s struggles last year. Beck has sleeper potential and has the ability to give the rest of the offense both a higher ceiling and a higher floor this season.
