Cardinals Rookie Carson Beck Starting at QB in Hall of Fame Game: What to Expect

The 2026 NFL Preseason officially gets underway on Thursday night with the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers squaring off in the annual Hall of Fame Game from Canton, Ohio. The game is set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC.  

Third-round rookie QB Carson Beck will make his NFL exhibition debut Thursday night, as he was named the Cardinals' starting quarterback for the Hall of Fame Game, while the starters will not suit up.

Below, we’ll break down the Arizona Cardinals QB depth chart and make Carson Beck’s passing yards projection for tonight’s Cardinals vs. Panthers Hall of Fame Game on PrizePicks.

Make your Cardinals vs. Panthers picks for the Hall of Fame Game on PrizePicks now!

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Cardinals QB Carson Beck Starting in Hall of Fame Game vs. Panthers

Drafted in the third round (65th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft out of Miami, former Heisman candidate Carson Beck will make his NFL exhibition debut tonight as the Arizona Cardinals open up preseason play vs. the Carolina Panthers. 

Beck is expected to play the first half, while second-year QB Kedon Slovis is expected to take the majority of the second half tonight.

Beck played his first five seasons at Georgia, serving as a backup to Stetson Bennett during Georgia’s two national title-winning teams in 2021 and 2022. He started for the Bulldogs in 2023 and 2024, throwing for more than 7,400 yards and 52 TDs while leading Georgia in those two seasons before transferring to Miami for his final season.

At Miami last season, Beck passed for 3,813 yards (fourth nationally), with 30 TDs (tied for sixth) and 12 INTs, leading Miami to the CFP National Championship Game, where they lost to Indiana.

Beck threw for over 200 yards in 12 of his 16 starts with Miami. He was the third QB off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft after Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson both went in the first round.

Cardinals QB Depth Chart: Who Will Start Week 1?

Although Beck is starting tonight vs. the Panthers, he is not the projected starter come Week 1 for Arizona. He currently sits behind two starters on the depth chart.

The starting job currently belongs to Jacoby Brissett, who threw for 3,366 yards, 23 TDs, and 8 INTs last season in 12 starts, going 1-11 in those games.

Brissett is heavily favored to be the Cardinals' Week 1 starting QB, with a 1.11x payout on Yes to start Week 1 on PrizePicks, followed by Carson Beck at a 6.25x payout on Yes.

Brissett reworked his contract last month, as he officially takes over the starting job from Kyler Murray, the former No. 1 overall pick in 2019 who signed a 1-year, $1.3 million deal with the Vikings this offseason.

Projected Cardinals QB Depth Chart

1. Jacoby Brissett
2. Gardner Minshew
3. Carson Beck
4. Kedon Slovis

Gardner Minshew, a former sixth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is currently the projected backup to Brissett after signing a one-year, $5.75 million contract in the offseason.

Minshew has started 47 NFL games with the Jags, Eagles, Colts, Raiders, and Chiefs over his seven-year career. 

Slovis, who saw action in two games last year, is the fourth QB in the Cardinals’ camp, and should see game action tonight in the second half once Beck is on the bench.

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Cardinals vs. Panthers Pick: Carson Beck – 104.5 Passing Yards 

With Arizona resting established veteran QBs Brissett and Minshew, Beck is expected to play most or all of the first half of tonight’s game vs. the Panthers, before giving way to Slovis in the second half. 

The Cardinals are also expected to sit No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love, starting RB James Conner, and star WR Marvin Harrison Jr., in addition to other starters.

Bam Knight (29.5 rushing yards) will start at running back, while fifth-round rookie Reggie Virgil is expected to start at WR.

Find our full Cardinals vs. Panthers prediction and expert picks here!

If Beck plays the entire first half — as expected — he'll likely need only a handful of sustained drives to clear 102.5 passing yards. 

As this is an extra preseason game for both teams, teams historically tend to give their starter a full half of playing time, if not more.

In last year’s HOF game, Trey Lance and Kyle Allen were the two starters, throwing for 120 and 90 yards for the Chargers and Lions, respectively, both playing the entire first half.

In 2024, Davis Mills started and threw for 102 yards for the Texans, while Brett Rypien tossed 3 TDs with 166 passing yards for the victorious Bears. 

Make your Carson Beck pick for Cardinals vs. Panthers on PrizePicks now!

Make Cardinals vs. Panthers Picks on PrizePicks

Can Carson Beck move up the Cardinals’ depth chart with an impressive first-half performance tonight vs. the Carolina Panthers?

The former Miami and Georgia star makes his NFL exhibition debut tonight in Canton, Ohio, as the NFL preseason kicks off. The Cardinals vs. Panthers Hall of Fame preseason game kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Don’t wait until lock at 8 p.m. ET tonight — make your Cardinals vs. Panthers picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.

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