Former Miami quarterback Carson Beck will get the first snap of the NFL preseason when he starts for the Arizona Cardinals in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday in Canton, Ohio.
Arizona selected Beck with the first pick of the third round in April, and the preseason opener will provide his first NFL game action. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur chose Beck after the rookie delivered his strongest practice of training camp Sunday, according to Darren Urban of the Cardinals’ official website.
LaFleur said Beck’s accuracy was on point during that workout and praised the second- and third-team offenses for operating at their best pace of camp. Those groups practiced the concepts Arizona plans to use Thursday, giving Beck a chance to carry recent progress directly into the Cardinals’ first live evaluation.
Arizona is unlikely to play veteran quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew II, although LaFleur has not announced their availability. Beck has worked behind both veterans while learning a new offense and adjusting to the speed of an NFL training camp. Starting the opener should give him more control over the operation and a meaningful opportunity to show how quickly he has absorbed the system.
LaFleur wants his quarterbacks to manage the offense cleanly and make the correct play for the Cardinals during the preseason. The assignment fits the traits Beck showed during his lone season at Miami. He did not need to create something spectacular on every snap to move the Hurricanes. His best stretches came when he diagnosed the defense, delivered on time and let Miami’s skill players finish the play.
Beck finished the 2025 season with 3,813 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while leading Miami to the College Football Playoff championship game. His 43 career college starts at Georgia and Miami gave Arizona one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the 2026 draft class.
His final college run also gave Arizona a close look at his response to pressure. Beck led the decisive drive in Miami’s 31-27 Fiesta Bowl victory at State Farm Stadium, the Cardinals’ home field, to send the Hurricanes to the national title game. Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort later cited Beck’s poise in that national semifinal as evidence that the quarterback could answer a difficult moment.
The Hall of Fame Game carries a different kind of pressure. Coaches care less about the final score than the details that reveal whether young players can handle professional assignments. Beck must call the play, organize the formation, manage the clock, identify pressure and make a sound decision while facing defenders who can close mistakes faster than anyone he saw in college.
Thursday will not settle Beck’s long-term place in Arizona’s quarterback room. Brissett and Minshew give the Cardinals veteran options, and one preseason start does not transform a rookie into an immediate regular-season answer. It can establish that Beck belongs in the competition and earn him better opportunities throughout the rest of August.
Miami fans already know Beck can withstand an uneven opening and settle into a game. His Hurricanes season included difficult stretches before he played his best football in the postseason. Arizona now gets the first NFL measure of whether the same composure, experience and arm talent can translate against the Panthers.
Comments