The Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers took the field for the start of the NFL preseason, ending a six-month wait since Super Bowl 60. While this is far from a regular-season game, it’s still possible to pay attention to some things, and Carson Beck quickly became the star of the show.
Chase Daniel, Robert Griffini III Believe Carson Beck Will Start for the Cardinals Soon
The Cardinals have a new head coach, and in his first drives calling the plays, Mike LaFleur drew some interesting concepts for his team as they start a new era. Beck, who started the game for Arizona with Jacoby Brissett rested, impressed.
At halftime, the quarterback had completed 11 out of 14 throws, with 148 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. He made some beautiful deep throws, and, for those who didn’t believe he could play well in the NFL, it was a surprising start for the rookie quarterback.
The Cardinals’ rookie finished the game completing 15/19 throws for 188 yards and a touchdown.
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Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel, who now works as an analyst, has been one of Beck’s fierce defenders. He, too, was impressed with the rookie and took to X to praise his first action in the league:
“Like I’ve said before… Carson Beck will be the guy in Arizona sooner than people think,” said Daniel.
Like I’ve said before….
Carson Beck will be the guy in Arizona sooner than people think pic.twitter.com/brD5ChZArs
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) August 7, 2026
Another former NFL quarterback, Robert Griffin III, also had positive words about Beck after the game against the Panthers. He wrote, “Carson Beck looking like QB1 for the Arizona Cardinals.”
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Beck was the third quarterback selected in the 2026 draft. In a class considered weak by many analysts, he was a surprising pick by the Arizona Cardinals, who took him at the top of the third round. Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson were the two quarterbacks selected before him.
He spent most of his college football career playing in Georgia, and an elbow injury sustained late in the 2024 season hurt his draft stock. He transferred to Miami and led the Hurricanes to the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Final, where they lost to Indiana.
The biggest concern about Beck’s game is his arm strength after the right elbow injury, which took away some of the velocity of his throws. Still, he was very efficient in 2025, finishing the year with an 83.3 grade in our PFN CFB QB Impact Metric, ranking 36th in the country.
Brissett, who recently signed a new deal with the Cardinals, is still slated to be the starter. But Beck’s preseason performances could force the franchise into playing him in the regular season sooner rather than later. If Arizona’s season starts to unravel quickly, the team could be tempted to give him a shot.
