Carson Beck’s 15-of-19 performance in Canton built immediate anticipation for his next preseason outing. However, Arizona received a bleak injury report on Saturday, just hours before their preseason opener against Raiders, about Carson Beck’s injury.
Per ESPN’s Ian Rapoport’s report, Beck won’t be playing vs. the Raiders tonight due to a rib injury he sustained during last Thursday’s Hall of Fame game.
“Beck practiced through soreness all week but the team decided to keep him out tonight as a precaution and to allow more time to heal,” Rapoport further added, confirming the injury is not serious nor longlasting.
#AZCardinals QB Carson Beck won’t play in tonight’s preseason game against the #Raiders due to a rib injury sustained in last Thursday’s Hall of Fame game. The injury is not considered serious.
Beck practiced through soreness all week but the team decided to keep him out… pic.twitter.com/UukQWuux2V
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 13, 2026
Rather than risk their third-round investment in a low-stakes preseason matchup, the Cardinals chose to protect the rookie QB and let him heal.
Cardinals Still Have QB1 With Carson Beck Out
GettyThe Arizona Cardinals get big Carson Beck injury update right before preseason opener against Raiders.
The setback wasn’t an immediate cause for panic in Arizona, though, largely because Jacoby Brissett had already been locked in as the starter long before Beck’s injury.
What it does affect is Beck’s chances at securing backup quarterback position sooner.
After outplaying expectations in week one, the N0. 65 overall pick was swiftly closing in Gardner Minshew for the QB2 spot behind veteran starter Brissett. Since Brissett is slated for only a drive or two, Minshew and second-year backup Kedon Slovis will shoulder the vast majority of snaps against Las Vegas.
If they perform well, LaFluer will be forced to consider them as serious options in Week 1, while Beck will still have some convincing left to do. The convincing that he had the perfect window for against the Las Vegas.
That doesn’t mean they don’t see Beck as their potential face of franchise, just that he might take a few weeks to get the upper hand back in the QB2 battle.
“It feels great to go in and succeed and execute within the offense,” Beck said after the Hall of Fame game.
“And, obviously, again, there’s going to be things to fix. You got to go watch the tape and there’s always so much room to improve, even just being a rookie, being a new guy and kind of getting my first taste of the league.”
Bigger Heartbreak: Postponed Beck vs. Mendoza Rematch
GettyThe Arizona Cardinals get big Carson Beck injury update right before preseason opener against Raiders.
Missing Beck’s second NFL outing is frustrating enough, but the real disappointment lies in the lost storyline.
Beck’s Miami team lost that wild, down-to-the-wire National Championship Game to Fernando Mendoza’s Hoosiers. Watching the two rookie callers face off again in NFL uniforms was the entire national TV storyline for this game.
Beck sitting out completely crushes that rematch narrative. Fans will no longer get to see Beck square off against Mendoza in a pro-level rematch of last January’s national title game.
Beyond the surface preseason rivalry storyline, this game was Beck’s quiet chance to chip away at the draft night narrative. Riding high on the national championship and his Heisman campaign straight to the No. 1 overall pick for Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, Beck unexpectedly slid to the third round and got picked by the Cardinals at No. 65 overall.
Facing Mendoza in the preseason was Beck’s chance to prove the gap between the No. 1 overall pick and a third-round selection wasn’t that wide. He will have to wait for that too.
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