The Arizona Cardinals kick off their preseason schedule Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers in the Hall of Fame Game, and all eyes will be on rookie quarterback Carson Beck. Selected with the 65th overall pick in this year's draft, Beck will get the starting nod under center.
Beck arrives in the NFL with impressive credentials. During his 2025 season at Miami, he completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,813 yards, tossing 30 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. That production helped boost his draft stock, and now the Cardinals are eager to see how that translates to the professional stage.
While Arizona isn't expected to hand Beck the Week 1 starting job, they're using the preseason to get an extended look at their young signal-caller. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett made it clear what the coaching staff wants to see from Beck on Thursday: crisp execution of the offense.
“Great execution. It all starts with that position, being able to call the play, comfortable with the play, make sure everybody’s getting up to the line, great cadences, kind of all those little basic steps there, and then just smart sound decisions,” Hackett said, via ESPN. “I mean, the guy’s been working really hard. I think everybody’s really excited for this first opportunity to have an extra opportunity. So, it’ll be fun to see him go out there.”
For Beck, the approach is simple. He's not treating the Hall of Fame Game as anything more than a chance to play football again. He told reporters he's focused on running Arizona's offense and enjoying the moment with his new teammates.
“I don’t know, it’s a game at the end of the day, get to go out there, have an opportunity to have fun, play with your teammates, and again, play the game that I love,” he said. “So, again, it’s what I love doing. So, not really any nerves, more excitement than anything.”
The Cardinals will be keeping a close eye on how Beck handles the huddle and makes decisions under pressure, especially given the competition for starting jobs across the league. With the regular season still weeks away, this preseason opener is a crucial first step for Beck's development.
Kickoff for the Hall of Fame Game is set for 8 p.m. ET on NBC, with the Cardinals hoping Beck's debut provides a glimpse of a promising future.
