When is Carson Beck going to get his shot in Arizona?

TEMPE — The Beckoning in Arizona will have to wait at least another week with Carson Beck’s role remaining as is heading into Week 6.

Despite discussions regarding his status on the depth chart this week, Arizona Cardinals rookie quarterback Carson Beck will once again serve on an emergency basis Sunday, similar to what he’s done all year.

 

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Unless Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II go down, Beck can’t even be an option to step in if Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams gets out of hand.

Given last week’s lopsided loss to the Detroit Lions, Arizona’s continued defensive deficiencies and a ticked-off L.A. squad coming off an overtime loss, there’s a good chance that happens.

Not having Beck in the starting lineup this week is fine. The optics surrounding the Cardinals are increasingly rough. NFL Next Gen Stats gives them a 1% playoff probability. It jumps to just 4% with a win this week. That being said, they’re only a few games out of a Wild Card spot.

Hitting eject this fast could send the wrong message in the locker room — even if the wins aren’t there to begin with.

There is also the numbers game that goes into who’s active and who isn’t on game day. I get all that.

But not having Beck as an option off the bench is beyond odd, and Arizona is missing out on opportunities because of it.

Sure, it’s only Week 6, but the clock is ticking. Every time Beck is not in the mix is another moment where he can’t put what he’s learning in practice and in the meeting rooms to the actual test.

Last week’s blowout loss to the Lions could have been a prime opportunity to give him some reps. Given his emergency status, that wasn’t even possible if head coach Mike LaFleur changed his mind.

That’ll be the case once again this week with his role not changing.

So, when will it?

When will Carson Beck find his way into the lineup?

Before we get into the “Beck starting” conversation, the rookie needs to be at least active on game days.

Given the team’s plans, that could come as early as next week’s game against the Denver Broncos. Getting game reps in some way, shape or form would be an added bonus.

That’s the starting point.

After that, just take the training wheels fully off.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Wednesday that Beck might not even see the field until late November, when the schedule lightens up. Going off that thinking, Week 12 against the Washington Commanders on Nov. 29 sticks out.

That, however, is just too late in the game for a team that needs as much intel as possible before making a franchise-altering decision.

Since Beck was drafted in the third round last April, I’ve pinpointed Week 8’s game against the Dallas Cowboys as a prime opportunity to get his first start.

It’s not one of the juggernaut defenses that litter Arizona’s schedule. And for some reason, good things happen more often than not for Arizona in the Lone Star State.

That would also give Beck a 10-game runway to work through growing pains, nail down the operation and, most importantly, give the Cardinals an ample sample size to evaluate.

Because, in case you forgot, the Cardinals have some major quarterback decisions looming with no clear franchise option on the roster.

Again, another reason to see what Beck has before it’s too late. The more intel, the better.

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