With Jacoby Brissett in Baltimore and Gardner Minshew on injured reserve, Carson Beck will get the nod for the Arizona Cardinals.
Beck has been one of the most popular players in the Phoenix area, given Arizona’s slow start under Jacoby Brissett. After Arizona moved Brissett, Minshew started in one game before tearing his UCL. The injury paved the way for Beck.
While the Cardinals signed Josh Johnson as insurance, Beck has shown enough to snag the QB1 job through his first nine weeks of work. That said, he is heading into a less-than-favorable situation.
Not only will he not have go-to receiver Michael Wilson on the field, among other starters, but his regular-season debut will come at State Farm Stadium, where the Cardinals are 0-10 dating back to last year.
Carson Beck Faces Significant Challenge In NFL Debut
The Cardinals last won at home on Sep. 14, 2025, vs. the Carolina Panthers. They won that game 27-22, before embarking on their latest losing streak.
Arizona has played in just three home games this season and has lost by at least two possessions in all three of them. This week, Beck will square off against one of the league’s better defenses that, per Pro-Football-Reference, ranks 12th in the league in yards allowed.
They rank in the top 10 with seven interceptions and have given up the 11th fewest passing yards. The Rams have also given up just 11 touchdown receptions, which is tied for the seventh fewest in the league.
Couple that with so many players on injured reserve, and Beck has more than his work cut out for him.
Beck Has A Rare Opportunity In Week 10
Despite the clear challenge and the Cardinals’ recent history at home, this is also an opportunity for Beck. If he overcomes all of the above challenges in his first career start, it doesn’t set anything in stone. But it will be a massive confidence booster that will fuel optimism for the remainder of the season.
It will also imply that Beck can make the most out of what he has. That could signal an ability to elevate talent around him. There has hardly been a quarterback in Arizona over the last decade with that ability — Carson Palmer may be the most recent.
What’s more? Arizona played the Rams well earlier in the year at SoFi Stadium and beat them without scoring a touchdown. While they would ideally find the end zone in Beck’s debut, they already showed that they can get the best of the Rams.
Los Angeles was also one of just three teams the Cardinals allowed fewer than 30 points against this season. Arizona is also coming off a game in which they allowed 17 points to the Seattle Seahawks.
Should Arizona’s defense enjoy another good outing against the Rams, that too will help keep things manageable for Beck. While recent history at State Farm Stadium isn’t on Beck’s side, his opportunity to prove he can make the most out of a limited supporting cast and the fact that the defense has played Los Angeles well could make his debut successful.
It would also eradicate that 10-game losing streak at home that has haunted the Cardinals.
Cardinals’ Carson Beck Faces Unwanted History in First NFL Start