Including Carson Beck, rookie quarterbacks are not playing this year

As Arizona Cardinals fans continue to wonder when the time will come to see what quarterback Carson Beck can do, there is a trend going on in the NFL: Rookie quarterbacks are not playing.

For only the second time since 2007, no rookie quarterbacks started in Week 1, and seven weeks into the season, only one has started a game. That was Jalon Daniels of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an undrafted rookie who filled in for three games while Baker Mayfield dealt with a thumb injury.

This is the first NFL season since 2007 during which only one rookie has started a game to this point — in 2007 it was Buffalo’s Trent Edwards, as No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell was still in a contract dispute with the then-Oakland Raiders.

The 2026 quarterback class was not considered especially strong to begin with, but there were four taken in the opening three rounds and one of the quartet has thrown a pass. No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has been the backup to Kirk Cousins for the Las Vegas Raiders, playing one game in relief so far.

No. 13 pick Ty Simpson was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, who have reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, so the plan for him is to sit so long as Stafford is healthy.

Beck has not been active for a game this season, nor has fellow third-rounder Drew Allar, who is playing behind Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh.

Atlanta’s Jack Strand and Washington’s Athan Kaliakmanis are the other two rookies who have thrown a pass this season in relief due to multiple injuries ahead of them, but they have only 23 attempt combined.

The difference here is that Mendoza is the future of the Raiders’ franchise, while Simpson and Allard are buried behind veteran quarterbacks on teams that in Pittsburgh’s case is in a playoff spot and in Los Angeles’ case is expected to compete for a Super Bowl.

Plus, Mendoza has been at least given a look in garbage time instead of being an inactive observer.

The Cardinals are 2-5 with veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett starting games. Brissett is doing what he can with an offensive line left depleted by injuries, but he is not pushing the Cardinals over the top to win now nor is he the future of the franchise.

Beck may not be either, but unlike Mendoza, the Cardinals have to figure out whether he can be by the time the 2027 NFL Draft comes up. Arizona would have a top-eight pick if the draft were tomorrow.

That said, the season is not yet halfway over, and Arizona is two games back of a playoff spot. There are also two games left until the trade deadline. The next four games on the Cardinals’ schedule are against the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.

Is the time to pivot after the deadline? Would they wait for a Week 13 bye to transition ahead of the final five games, or does that not present them a large enough sample size?

What is certain is Brissett will start this week in Dallas, although head coach Mike LaFleur took another tone when talking about Beck’s status:

“He’s going to do a workout tomorrow on our off day just kind of moving in the pocket and stuff like that to see where he is in terms of rep structure starting Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,” LaFleur told reporters on Monday.

Beck has been dealing with back spasms that kept him off the practice field last week, so whether or not the comments were more geared toward health versus role as the emergency quarterback will be inquired further this week.

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