The Arizona Cardinals were already a team to watch under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, but a sudden quarterback competition might be on the horizon.
Rookie quarterback Carson Beck finally made his preseason debut on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game. He put together a strong debut, potentially forcing the coaching staff to rethink their plans under center before Week 1 even arrives.
Expected starter Jacoby Brissett recently reworked his deal to move on from contract talks this season, but the future could be with Beck. Depending on how slow of a start the Cardinals get off too, he could see regular season action sooner rather than later.
Playing with the backups, Beck put together a performance to remember. He played until the middle of the third quarter and completed 15-of-19 passes for 188 yards and a passing touchdown.
Beck led the Cardinals offense on four scoring drives before Kedon Slovis took over for the rest of the second half. If Beck wants to get noticed and create a true competition against Brissett, he’ll need to keep up his strong preseason play over the next few weeks.
Not only did Beck show out in his debut, but so did former Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King. The electric play style that made him a star with the Yellow Jackets was on full display Thursday night.
King walked it off for the Panthers, scrambling into the end zone as time expired to steal a dramatic 33–30 victory over the Cardinals.
He ended the night filling the stat sheets after taking over for backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. King finished his debut completing 21-of-34 passes for 180 yards and two passing touchdowns, while adding 39 rushing yards and touchdown on the ground.
All signs point toward Bryce Young being the future in Carolina, but if King keeps this play up, he could force his way onto the 53-man roster. Coach Dave Canales has a proven track record of developing young quarterbacks and King could be his next project.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Beck and King, but both rookie quarterbacks gave fans a Hall of Fame Game performance they won’t forget.
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