Cardinals rookie Carson Beck to make NFL debut at Hall of Fame game

PHOENIX (AZFamily/AP) — Carson Beck will be suiting up for his NFL debut as the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers take the gridiron Thursday night.

The NFL’s exhibition schedule kicks off with Beck and the Cardinals facing Kenny Pickett and the Panthers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Kick off is at 5 p.m. MST.

Preseason is an opportunity for rookies, backups and players fighting for roster spots to get snaps and showcase what they can do. Most first-round picks won’t play much. Cardinals running back Jerimiyah Love (No. 3 pick) and Panthers tackle Monroe Freeling (No. 19) are sitting out the opener.

Beck, the Cardinals third-round pick from Miami, will be under center for new head coach Mike LaFleur. Veteran Jacoby Brissett is Arizona’s starter and Gardner Minshew is the backup.

“I had no clue I was going to start,” Beck said. “Obviously, I thought I was going to play but I really didn’t have any expectations going into any of this. Obviously, our schedule is absolutely crazy right now, practice, meetings. But I’m looking forward to it.”

Beck, who led the Hurricanes to a national championship matchup against Indiana, said he won’t have any butterflies before the game.

“I think the last time I was nervous was maybe when I was 8 years old for our city championship in Pop Warner,” Beck said. “It’s a game at the end of the day. It’s an opportunity to go out there, have fun with your teammates and play the game that I love. It’s what I love doing.”

With the Hurricanes, Beck finished the season with over 3,800 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald, one of the greatest and most productive receivers in league history, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. The enshrinement ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. MST.

Joining Fitzgerald in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinateri.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.