Carson Beck is about to get his first NFL start, and the Arizona Cardinals didn’t plan it this way. Gardner Minshew is seeking more medical opinions on a torn UCL in his throwing elbow that will likely require season-ending surgery, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, and ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reported that Beck is expected to start Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
It’s the latest hit for a 3-6 team that sits last in the NFC West. Arizona traded Jacoby Brissett to Baltimore earlier this month, lost top receiver Michael Wilson for the season with a neck fracture, and was down to one healthy quarterback on Monday before signing 40-year-old Josh Johnson.
How Gardner Minshew got hurt
The injury happened just before halftime of Sunday’s 17-3 loss in Seattle, when Dante Fowler Jr. hit Minshew’s throwing arm, according to Yardbarker. Minshew stayed in and took every snap of the second half, finishing 21 of 30 for 166 yards.
Monday’s imaging showed the torn ulnar collateral ligament. Head coach Mike LaFleur wouldn’t confirm on Monday that Minshew was done for the year, Cardinals On SI reported, and Minshew is getting more opinions before a decision on surgery. Even so, Yahoo Sports noted his season is likely over whether he has the operation or not.
LaFleur said he expects to have more on the quarterback plan when he meets with reporters Wednesday.
Who is Carson Beck?
Beck was Arizona’s third-round pick in April, No. 65 overall, after a long college career that ran five seasons at Georgia and a final year at Miami. He threw for 11,725 yards, 88 touchdowns and 32 interceptions in college, according to NFL.com.
| Carson Beck | Details |
|---|---|
| Drafted | 2026, Round 3, No. 65 (Arizona) |
| College | Georgia, then Miami |
| College stats | 11,725 yards, 88 TD, 32 INT |
| Preseason | 15 of 19, 188 yards, 1 TD in his only game |
| Regular season | Hasn’t taken a snap |
He became the backup only after the Brissett trade, and LaFleur said last week that Beck was “prepared” to play, Cardinals On SI reported. LaFleur also said Beck and Minshew are comfortable with similar concepts, so much of the playbook can stay in place, according to Yardbarker.
That matters on a short runway. Beck will have one week of first-team practice reps before facing a Rams team that is 5-4 and still in the NFC playoff hunt.
How the Cardinals quarterback room got this thin
Arizona didn’t start the month expecting to be here. The Cardinals sent Brissett and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Ravens for a 2027 fourth-rounder and a 2028 seventh-rounder, according to ESPN. That left Minshew as the starter and Beck as his backup. The deal came with Baltimore playing without Lamar Jackson, who is out with a thumb injury.
That setup lasted one game. Minshew’s injury leaves the Cardinals with a rookie starter, a backup who signed on Monday and no one else. LaFleur has talked about how some team setups suit a rookie quarterback better than others, AOL reported. Injuries have now settled that debate for him.
Josh Johnson signs with his 15th NFL team
Arizona had no third quarterback when LaFleur spoke Monday. Schefter reported later that night that the Cardinals were signing Josh Johnson off the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad. It will be Johnson’s 15th NFL team across 14 seasons in the league, Yahoo Sports noted, which is a record.
Johnson is insurance, not competition. The Cardinals’ plan, as reported, is to find out what they have in Beck over the final eight games.
A receiver room down to the bare bones
Beck won’t have much help. Wilson played through a neck fracture he suffered on the fourth offensive snap in Seattle, finishing with six catches for a team-high 60 yards before tests on Monday revealed the break. He ends the year with 51 catches, 546 yards and two touchdowns.
Arizona has now lost its top four Week 1 wide receivers:
- Marvin Harrison Jr. was traded to the Houston Texans in October.
- Jalen Brooks needed wrist surgery.
- Kendrick Bourne went on injured reserve after getting hurt in Dallas.
- Wilson is out for the season.
The healthy group is Simi Fehoko, Devin Duvernay and rookies Reggie Virgil and Harrison Wallace III, with veteran Zay Jones on the practice squad, according to Yardbarker. Lead running back Jeremiyah Love is also on injured reserve for at least three more games, CBS Sports reported, and starting center Hjalte Froholdt is in the concussion protocol.
The one constant is tight end Trey McBride. The Cardinals told the Broncos they had “zero intention” of trading him when Denver called, ESPN’s Schefter reported, per Bleacher Report. With Wilson out and a rookie at quarterback, McBride should see even more targets.
Every completed deal this season, including the Brissett and Harrison trades, is in our NFL trade deadline tracker.
Fantasy fallout from the Cardinals quarterback change
- Trey McBride: Locked-in TE1. He has 598 receiving yards and five touchdowns, according to Bleacher Report, and his target share should only grow.
- Carson Beck: Only a deep option in two-quarterback leagues this week, given the receiver depth chart.
- Cardinals wide receivers: Avoid until a clear No. 1 emerges. Virgil leads the active group with just 54 receiving yards.
- Rams defense: Worth a look as a streamer against a rookie making his first start behind a banged-up line.
Our Week 10 start/sit has the rest of the lineup calls.
Cardinals vs. Rams: a rookie debut against a wounded rival
Sunday’s game is a meeting of two injury-ravaged offenses. The Rams just lost All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua to injured reserve with knee sprains and turf toe, joining Davante Adams on the sideline. The details are in our Puka Nacua injury update.
For Arizona, the result matters less than the evaluation. At 3-6, the Cardinals have eight games to learn whether Beck can be part of their plans for 2027, and Wednesday’s press conference should tell us how quickly LaFleur wants to find out.
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