Dave Canales Praises Cardinals Rookie QB Carson Beck After Hall of Fame Game

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales had plenty of praise for Arizona Cardinals rookie quarterback Carson Beck after the two teams opened the 2026 preseason with a 33-30 Carolina win in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night in Canton, Ohio.

Beck, selected 65th overall in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, got the start for Arizona with veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew sitting out. According to AZCardinals.com, the team confirmed the decision on Tuesday, with Beck telling reporters he “had no clue” he was going to start. He stayed on the field until the middle of the third quarter before Kedon Slovis took over.

The Cardinals didn’t walk away with the win, but Beck’s first NFL appearance hinted at a promising future. He completed 15 of 19 attempts for 188 yards and one touchdown, finishing with a 78.9 completion percentage and a 125.4 passer rating. No interceptions. He also carried the ball twice for three yards and took one sack.

Canales didn’t hold back afterward.

“He operated like a professional. He looked fantastic. He was accurate. He was on time,” Canales said, according to Yahoo Sports, citing the Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi. “Our rush was decent. He got the ball out, threw some really beautiful passes down the field, up the sideline on some double moves, over the middle, to keep the drive alive in some third-down situations so tip my hat to him.”

Beck’s best flashes came on two connections with wide receiver Jalen Brooks. One went for 35 yards on third down after Beck sold a pump fake to freeze the secondary. The other traveled 49 yards, with Brooks absorbing a hard hit and still coming down with the football.

The pocket poise showed up too. Facing third-and-7 near Arizona’s own goal line, Beck slid forward just enough to buy space before finding Brooks for that 35-yard gain. He threaded another throw to Brooks over the middle, in a window that wasn’t there for long, to keep a separate drive breathing.

His lone touchdown came on a five-yard toss to Simi Fehoko. Instead of firing it flat into the end zone, Beck lofted it toward the back corner, giving Fehoko room to go up and make the play. NFL.com’s game recap described Beck as the best player on the field through the first half, working through dump-offs, play-action rhythm throws, and intermediate passes with accuracy and timing.

Beck led four scoring drives during his stint under center. He finished the night with zero interceptions, though three false starts crept into the mix. First-year head coach Mike LaFleur was reportedly focused on watching Beck run the offense cleanly and take command of the huddle.

Canales also noted that Beck made things difficult for a Carolina defense that generated a respectable pass rush. Beck was sacked just once, and his ability to process the field and get the ball out on time was steady from snap to snap.

Beck’s Path to the Cardinals’ QB Room

Arizona gave Beck extended first-team reps this offseason while Brissett held out during a contract standoff. Brissett eventually signed a new deal with the Cardinals in July, which put him back atop the depth chart.

Beck’s strong outing doesn’t change the pecking order. Brissett remains Arizona’s expected Week 1 starter, and CBS Sports reported there’s no timeline for the Miami product to take over behind him. But the Hall of Fame Game gave Cardinals fans an early look at why the franchise spent a third-round pick on Beck in the first place.

The Panthers ultimately took the game when rookie quarterback Haynes King scored the game-winning touchdown on a scramble as time expired. King finished 21 of 34 for 180 yards and two passing touchdowns, adding 39 rushing yards and a rushing score of his own.