Carson Beck’s Hall of Fame performance gave everyone high hopes for his rookie season, but that was it. The rib injury that followed him put a big speed bump on his NFL debut even before he had a chance.
The Cardinals already had Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew ahead of him in the pecking order, and Beck’s injured ribs made sure he couldn’t even give Minshew or Brissett a run for their position.
Now, Beck is struggling to even find any reps as he navigates what could be a lengthy recovery.
However, that flash of potential in the HoF game was all head coach Mike LaFleur needed to see to actually not let Beck’s talent go to waste sitting on the bench all day.
Mike LaFleur Reveals Practice Plan for Carson Beck
Previewing their Week 2 game vs. the Seahawks, LaFleur opened up about their plan for Beck moving forward with him.
“We are making sure that Carson is connected with it,” LaFleur said. “Regardless, even if we had not done that, the other thing we do with the potential inactives and practice squad guys, the guys that don’t get a ton of reps with their side, they stay after practice in that 5-to-10 minute window where, in Carson’s case, he can spot-throw through the script. You try to keep him as connected because, as you know, you are one or two plays away.”
Darren Urban of the Arizona Cardinals explains how LaFleur actually splits the reps between Minshew and Beck.
“It’s always hard for a third QB to get practice reps,” Urban writes. “The starter gets all the normal team reps in a game week. The backup is the one who performs with what LaFleur calls the “look squad” — the scout team, which is 32 reps on Wednesdays, 36 on Thursdays, and 20 of Fridays. The third QB is left to get what he can when he can.”
“But LaFleur instead has chosen to have QB2 Gardner Minshew II, and Beck split the look squad work.”
Carson Beck Playing Gardner Minshew’s Reps
The Cardinals can give that much of Minshew’s reps to Beck because they trust his veteran years of experience and his ability to handle the offensive reins if needed behind Brissett.
“We talked to Gardner,” LaFleur explained. “Gardner has played a lot of football and Carson hasn’t. As you are trying to develop these guys, we just thought it was right to do that. Had Gardner been a second-year guy and was the No. 2, we probably wouldn’t be doing this.”
LaFleur knows both Brissett and Minshew are on a short leash in Arizona; the real face of the franchise is Beck. Instead of letting him sit idle, ca
LaFleur knows both Brissett and Minshew are on a short leash in Arizona; the real face of the franchise is Beck. Instead of letting him sit idle, carving out reps gives the Cardinals a real read on what they actually have in him whenever he gets cleared.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano expects Beck’s return to hit around December, meaning there’s still quite a bit of runway left before he sees a live hit.
By keeping him involved through these shared reps, Beck won’t be dealing with a mountain of rust when his number finally gets called. More importantly, it gives the front office a legitimate evaluation window down the stretch—giving them a clear answer on whether they need to start circling quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL Draft or if the future is already in the building.
Cardinals Reveal Carson Beck’s Practice Status Amid Injury Recovery