​Cardinals projected plan for Carson Beck from ESPN will require patience originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Arizona Cardinals are heading into the 2026 NFL season with Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback. The future of the position is still very much up in the air.While Brissett is the Week 1 starter, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he wound up losing his starting job at some point. But with Gardner Minshew the No. 2 QB in Arizona, rookie third-rounder Cason Beck might not be in the lineup for a while.According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Cardinals’ plan at quarterback with Beck will require patience, as the rookie third-rounder is projected to get his first NFL action potentially as late in the season as December.Cardinals projected to make December decision with Carson Beck”The third-round pick will open the season as the third-string behind Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II,” Graziano writes. “… I could see Beck getting some December starts.”Arizona is likely to fall out of the NFL playoff race about as early into the season as any team, as the NFC West is going to be well above its weight class, and the NFC Wild Card field is sure to be highly competitive as well.Even though the Cardinals have an exciting skill group with Jeremiyah Love, Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson, the offensive line is a big question mark, the QB room is full of unknowns, and the defense is a work-in-progress.Once the Cardinals are eliminated, or when their odds are practically at zero percent later in the season, then they might hand the keys of the offense over to Beck.MORE: Raiders name Kirk Cousins as Week 1 starter over Fernando MendozaIn December, the Cardinals face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13, followed by a Week 14 bye, and then games against the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints in December, with the Las Vegas Raiders, and San Francisco 49ers to end the year in January.The Cardinals could wind up using Beck in their final four to five games to end the season, as by that point they’re likely to be eliminated from the NFL playoffs, and seeing what the third-round QB can do makes some sense.This is only a projection, and the Cardinals could wind up making a switch much earlier in the season if Brissett struggles too much or gets hurt.It would be a surprise if Beck doesn’t make at least a few starts, though those starts are likely to come at the end of the season.More NFL news:Why Browns are making a massive mistake with Deshaun Watson as QB1 over Shedeur SandersPatriots and Christian Gonzalez are still far apart on contract extension talksPackers ‘motivated’ to sign Tucker Kraft to long-term extensionTexans prepared to offer C.J. Stroud a $50M plus contract extensionEagles sign former Cowboys RB draft pick Jaydon Blue to practice squad