LaFleur: ‘No concern’ over Beck’s rib injury

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Beck suffered a rib injury in the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame game against the Panthers. Despite feeling “soreness,” he managed to practice this week. The Cardinals “decided to keep him out tonight as a precaution and to allow more time to heal.” This pours a little cold water on Beck’s moderate hype, but the reporting suggests that the injury is not overly concerning. Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett will start, and presumably be relieved by QB Kedon Slovis at some point. No word yet on QB Gardner Minshew’s potential involvement tonight.

Beck played two-plus quarters. No offense to the Hall-of-Fame Game, but it’s not a contest we typically go into expecting highlights. The Cardinals’ No. 3 quarterback provided several of them, hitting Jalen Brooks for a 49-yard deep strike and Simi Fehoko for a five-yard end zone fade touchdown. In between were several smart in-rhythm completions, with Beck navigating the pocket well. 24-year-old Beck’s arm strength remains a massive question mark — even his Brooks completion drifted a bit toward the middle of the field — but his processing was on point against the Panthers’ second- and third-team defense. Although he was a highly polarizing pre-draft prospect, the fact that the rebuilding Cardinals were willing to use a Day 2 selection strongly suggests he will make late-season starts as the organization keeps an eye on the future.

It will be our first glimpse of Beck in an NFL uniform. Given the draft cost they paid for Beck, the 65th overall pick, it would behoove the Cardinals for him to be clearly better than everyone else out on the field Thursday and establish some sort of momentum to eventually get a starting role by the end of the season. We’ll see.

Brissett was scheduled to make up to $4.88 this year, in the final year of his old deal. His new contract increases his compensation for this season, but he is still scheduled to hit free agency next offseason. The new deal includes a $15.5 million base salary. He can make up to $21 million via incentives. Things can always change in-season, but this appears to be clear-cut starter money — and it’s good news for Cardinals pass catchers. Although the Cardinals struggled to win games with Brissett under center last year, he was a very productive passer. Theoretically, he should be able to support TE Trey McBride and likely one of WR Marvin Harrison Jr. or WR Michael Wilson reliably. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur confirmed that the plan is for Brissett to start in Week 1 against the Chargers.

The first pick of the third round, Beck’s deal is worth roughly $7.4 million over four years. Jacoby Brissett is also gunning for a new contract, though he is looking for a raise on his current salary and more guarantees. Brissett is penciled in as the Week 1 starter and is not even a highly paid backup. The two sides should come to an agreement soon, though the deal won’t guarantee Brissett a full season as the starter. If things don’t go well for Arizona this year, they will almost certainly take a look at Beck near the end of the season.

Solak is among the NFL analysts identifying the Cardinals as a prime landing spot for Sorsby, who will enter the league’s supplemental draft after forgoing his final collegiate season following a sports betting scandal. The weak-armed Beck, selected by Arizona with the 65th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, would have little chance of holding off Sorsby this season if the Cards bring in Sorsby, who was graded by Pro Football Focus as the eighth best passer in the nation last year. In Arizona, the dual-threat Sorsby — he had 18 rushing touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons — would have a real chance at fantasy relevance unless the Cardinals are intent on wasting an entire season with Jacoby Brissett under center.

Brissett has one year left on his deal, which includes $1.5 million in guarantees. He can make up to $5.39 million. Fellow Cardinals QB Gardner Minshew signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason that netted him $5.14 million in guarantees. The front office also invested a third-round pick in rookie QB Carson Beck. It’s easy to see why Brissett is seeking increased financial security, but he may not have the leverage required to attain it. It is unknown whether Brissett will attend next week’s voluntary organized team activities. A mandatory minicamp for veterans and rookies is scheduled to take place June 8-10. Things could become even more contentious if he refuses to attend the mandatory events. Hopefully, the dispute will be resolved soon. Brissett, 33, showed last year that he has the ability to distribute the ball in a fantasy-friendly manner for Cardinals pass catchers.

Beck underwent surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow in December 2024. His recent comments come after a 2025 season at Miami in which he averaged just a 4.8-yard aDOT. With veteran QB Jacoby Brissett hoping for a new contract, Beck could be afforded opportunities to back up his comments in training camp this summer. At best, Beck’s pocket passing style lends itself to a QB2 fantasy valuation, but he might be able to manage games in a fantasy-friendly manner for his pass catchers. That said, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur recently said, “it won’t be the worst thing for him” if Beck ends up sitting for part or all of his rookie season.

“It benefits anyone in any position to be able to sit back,” LaFleur is quoted as saying by ESPN. “Sometimes, guys don’t have the choice because you have to put your best 22 out on the field there.” Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew currently occupy the two spots ahead of Beck on the depth chart. It doesn’t seem like there’s any reason to believe that the Cardinals are pushing Beck to play this year, which is exactly the return you want from your high third-round pick.

With the Rams taking Ty Simpson early in the first round for some reason, the Cardinals add Beck to their paltry QB room alongside Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. Beck (6’4”/233) and his Miami Hurricanes were the runners-up in this year’s national championship game. A sixth-year prospect who started his career as a backup at Georgia, Beck wound up starting two seasons (2023 and 2024) for the Bulldogs before transferring to Miami for his final season. Beck has the prototypical size of a pocket passer, but was a short-yardage merchant during his final season at Miami, averaging a 4.8 average depth of target on his completed passes with 64.8 percent of his throws traveling fewer than 10 air yards. There are also concerns about his throwing arm after he underwent UCL surgery in 2024. Beck’s conservative style limits bad plays, and he’s displayed a good knack for avoiding sacks when pressured. More of a game manager than a player who will air it out to win you games, Beck could thrive in the right system and one day get a chance to start. Brissett would be far better for Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. for fantasy purposes.