If there is one NFL team that has needed a little positive news during the 2026 offseason, it's got to be the Arizona Cardinals. The Miami Dolphins might have an argument to be made as well, but the Cardinals have also had it bad, especially recently.
Early on in the offseason, the perception of the Cardinals was that they were last in line to hire a head coach, and not because they had their pick of the litter and wanted to be patient. It was more along the lines of the team having arguably the worst all-around situation to step into.
From that point, it's been a lot of negative publicity with the Cardinals making the controversial pick of Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft (giving him more guaranteed money than any RB in the history of the league before taking a snap), Jacoby Brissett's hold out (and not knowing the offense after getting paid), Marvin Harrison Jr.'s struggles, and plenty more.
After the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night, the Cardinals finally got a dose of some much-needed positivity, and it could be franchise-altering.
Arizona Cardinals rookie QB Carson Beck shines during preseason debut
Patience is required of any and all young players in the NFL, but especially at the quarterback position. Ironically, it feels like that is also the position where patience is in shortest supply, but I digress...
Carson Beck was once considered one of the best quarterback prospects in all of college football, routinely popping up in the 1st round of mock draft predictions and helping Georgia win a lot of games. The optimism for his NFL future remained -- albeit briefly -- after he transferred to Miami last season, where his stock seemed to decline rapidly.
Beck went from being projected in the 1st round to being a Day 2 afterthought in a hurry, but he still showed plenty of NFL-level stuff with the Hurricanes. The Cardinals took him with the top pick in round three (65th overall), and he put on a show in his preseason debut
Carson Beck to Jalen Brooks. WOW.@ProFootballHOF Game on NBC
— NFL (@NFL) August 7, 2026
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/VjnMEP2mIQ
Beck's final stat line was extremely impressive, finishing the game 15-of-19 passing (79 percent) with 188 yards, 1 TD, and engineering three total scoring drives. He showed some excellent recognition of coverages, finding holes in zone on deep throws, as well as the footwork to avoid the rush and stand tall in the pocket.
It's just one preseason game, but Beck's development is going to be worth monitoring closely for a team that is projected to pick very high in next year's draft.
Chase Bisontis steals the show during Cardinals' preseason debut
Sandwiched between two extremely high-profile selections, it's understandable if you forgot the Arizona Cardinals even drafted Texas A&M offensive guard Chase Bisontis. Some of the best purchases for upgrading your home are the ones nobody even realizes you bought.
Okay, maybe that's a terrible metaphor in this situation, but the point is that offensive linemen -- especially interior linemen -- don't sell a lot of jerseys for a team, yet they are instrumental for rebuilding programs. And if you can get someone who is as NFL-ready as Chase Bisontis looked against the Panthers, it's a massive development.
Bisontis is battling for a starting job in the Cardinals' offense right now, but he might not be in that battle much longer. He did such an outstanding job in the running game, not only showing his physicality with the defensive linemen in front of him, but getting up to the second level and wiping linebackers out of certain plays as well.
In pass protection, he showed quick feet, a nasty demeanor, and an ability to get hands on the inside and stonewall defensive linemen.
We didn't even get to see Jeremiyah Love in this game as the rookie was held out, but the Cardinals' other two rookies from the top of this class were impressive, to say the least.
Yes, it's just one preseason game, but if what we saw in this game becomes the norm for either of these players, it could be franchise-altering for the Cardinals.
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