The Arizona Cardinals' plan was to go old school and let rookie QB Carson Beck sit behind Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew unless an issue arose that required his services. Well, that time has come, and Beck will get his first career NFL start against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Brissett was dealt to the Baltimore Ravens when Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley both went down with injuries just before the deadline, and in Week 9 against the Seahawks, Minshew suffered a UCL injury to his throwing arm. Now, it is Beck's show to lead the team down the stretch of the second half of the season.

Beck, a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, was a player many thought could be a first-rounder to the right team, but that never happened. After playing 55 games for the Miami Hurricanes and Georgia Bulldogs over six years, Cardinals coach Matt LeFleur thinks Beck can handle the grind.

"I know this isn't too big for him," LaFleur said. "Go have some fun, man. Go let it sling."

When Beck was asked about the moment finally arriving, he said, "Obviously, having gone from emergency quarterback at the beginning of the season to last week being the backup to now being the starter, I mean, it's been a crazy season. "It's really been a welcome to the NFL season, just getting introduced to what the league is and what it can be."

The Cardinals expect Beck to play at a more veteran pace than most rookies because of the big-game experience he has gained in the ACC and SEC. We will see how reserved he is when facing a tough Rams defense with Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald staring right back at him.