The Arizona Cardinals have had a pretty quiet offseason, which is to be expected for a team that has begun a rebuild. However, there has been some drama at the quarterback position, even in the wake of moving on from Kyler Murray. That’s because, with the team set to turn to Jacoby Brissett as their starter for the 2026 campaign, he has decided that he wants a pay raise.
Brissett’s request isn’t exactly unreasonable, as he enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025, but with no new deal in place, he may not participate at the start of training camp. That will turn much of the attention to Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck, and right before training camp gets underway, the team took a second to hammer out a key piece of business involving Beck.
Cardinals Sign Carson Beck to $7.4 Million Rookie Contract
Cardinals also placed DL Kaleb Proctor on IR and signed DL Coziah Izzard.
With Murray only suiting up for five games last season, that forced Brissett into action for more than expected, and while Arizona only won one of his 12 starts, the veteran passer was actually very effective under center. Brissett completed 64.9% of his passes for 3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns, while also rushing for 168 yards and another score.
Now that he’s on track to be the Cardinals‘ starter in 2026, Brissett wants more money. To this point, the front office hasn’t given him what he wants, which means Minshew and Beck will likely get the lion’s share of snaps to start training camp. Minshew was signed in free agency this offseason, while Beck was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Beck was one of the more polarizing quarterbacks in his draft class, as he starred during his time in college, but that didn’t lead to him generating much interest among NFL teams. The Cards decided to see if they could develop him, and ahead of training camp, the team officially inked him to his four-year, $7.4 million rookie contract.
“Cardinals officially signed QB Carson Beck to his four-year, $7.4 million rookie contract,” Adam Schefter of ESPN shared in a post on X.
Cardinals May Be Forced to Rely on Carson Beck Right Away
GettyTEMPE, ARIZONA – MAY 08: Carson Beck #19 of the Arizona Cardinals practices in team rookie mincamp at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center on May 08, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Chances are, Beck won’t start right away for the Cardinals in 2026, as either Brissett or Minshew is tracking to be the Week 1 starter. However, if Brissett’s contract situation doesn’t get resolved and Minshew struggles, Beck could quickly make his presence known in the team’s quarterback room.
With Beck’s contract situation squared away, Arizona will likely turn its attention to Brissett and try to get him a new deal before it bleeds into training camp. The two sides haven’t been able to find common ground yet, but if Brissett holds out (or holds in), that could force the front office’s hand. Getting Beck to put pen to paper is a win for the Cards, but it’s clear that they still have work to do when it comes to taking care of Brissett now.
Cardinals Announce Carson Beck News Amid Jacoby Brissett Drama