Carson Beck starting Cardinals Hall of Fame Game Thursday

Carson Beck starting the Hall of Fame Game Thursday

Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur confirmed that Carson Beck, rookie QB for the Arizona Cardinals, will start Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers in Canton, Ohio. Adam Schefter reported the news.

Beck was selected in the third round (65th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft out of Miami. He played six college seasons between Georgia and Miami, finishing with a 37-6 record as a starter.

What this means for the depth chart

Jacoby Brissett is the Week 1 starter. He signed a new contract last week after skipping most of the offseason program, and that spot is not in play.

The order of play Thursday tells the real story. LaFleur had signaled all three quarterbacks -- Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Beck -- would get reps, with the sequence reflecting how he views the depth chart. Beck leading off puts him ahead of Minshew in the pecking order.

During OTAs, LaFleur said "the game makes sense" to Beck, which is typically what coaches say about a quarterback whose processing and defensive recognition they trust. Beck himself has talked about focusing on the mental side of the position after getting extra first-team reps during Brissett's absence from voluntary workouts.

Fantasy takeaway

For redraft, Beck is a handcuff with no immediate value unless Brissett misses time. For dynasty, Thursday is the first live audition. He has the college pedigree and early coach trust to develop into a long-term starter, and this game is worth watching to gauge how quickly he processes at the NFL level.

Arizona has four preseason games this year rather than the usual three, so there will be more opportunities to evaluate Beck before the regular season.