Things seem to be getting out of hand for the Arizona Cardinals on the injury front.
Head coach Mike LaFlauer broke news that WR Michael Wilson is out for the season in Monday’s press conference. This wasn’t the only less-than-ideal news for a Cardinals squad already dealing with rampant injuries elsewhere.
LaFleur also revealed that C Hjalte Froholdt is in concussion protocol and didn’t have an update on DL Roy Lopez. There’s also a development at the quarterback position that might push the team’s priorities towards 2027 prematurely.
Door Could Open For Carson Beck’s First Cardinals Start
In a development that isn’t necessarily surprising but remains eye-opening, LaFleur revealed that QB Gardner Minshew II is undergoing further tests on an arm injury (Darren Urban, azcardinals.com).
Minshew went down in pain on the final play of the first half in Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. A hit from Dante Fowler might prevent the incumbent starting QB from making more than one start with the Cardinals. Insider Ian Rapoport seems to confirm this to be the case, as the fear is Minshew has a torn UCL in his elbow.
Waiting in the wings is Carson Beck, who is awaiting his first career start. The Miami product has built a strong bond with Minshew in recent months and shouldn’t be facing schematic challenges that many do when making a quarterback change.
The unfortunate development here is that Beck’s evaluation period might be in the midst of an impossible period.
Arizona, Beck Facing Challenging Circumstances
There’s little doubt that the cupboard is quite thin for Arizona at the moment. Only two offensive lineman (Isaac Seumalo, Elijah Wilkinson) are definitively in-line to start in week 10.
The Cardinals will also be without Wilson, Jeremiyah Love, Kendrick Bourne, and potentially Bam Knight this week.
This is likely setting Beck up to face an impossible situation over the final eight games, should he start every remaining contest. Arizona’s run game is currently fully dependent on Tyler Allgeier. The receiving core currently stands at Reggie Virgil, Semi Fehoko, and Devin Duvernay. The offensive line is a shell of what it was at the beginning of the season.
The pretense of Minshew not being available to step in if necessary is another blow for the Cardinals as well. The team is now likely going to need to scour practice squad options to find another quarterback – does this open the door for Kedon Slovis to make a return to the desert?
All of the issues compounding would be a great deal for any quarterback to overcome. It’s especially disconcerting in Beck’s case, as he is currently trying to prove that he is the franchise QB moving forward.
While Arizona takes on teams such as the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders in the coming weeks, there aren’t many pressure points that Beck will be able to turn to, save for TE Trey McBride.
Beck’s first career start might come against Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald, and the Los Angeles Rams.
Carson Beck Could Make First Cardinals Start Amid Growing Injuries