Is it Carson Beck time in Arizona? When Cardinals need to replace Jacoby Brissett with the rookie QB

A look at the Cardinals’ quarterback outlook and when Carson Beck should start

The Arizona Cardinals (1-4) have hit their ceiling with Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback in 2026. Since defeating the now 0-5 Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, Arizona has lost four in a row, including a damning couple of losses the last two weeks. The Cardinals had a chance to beat the New York Giants in Week 4 with a play at the 4-yard line, trailing by six with 11 seconds remaining. After using their final timeout, Brissett threw a pick-six, the third of his single-game career-high three interceptions that day. Equally — or perhaps more — damning is what happened on Sunday in Arizona's 45-21 defeat against the Detroit Lions.

The Lions entered Week 5 with the league's 31st-ranked scoring defense (31.8 points per game) and the NFL's worst total defense (423.8 total yards per game) and third down defense (52.8% third down conversion rate allowed). After an opening drive touchdown pass from Brissett to tight end Teagan Quitoriano, the Cardinals' next five drives were three-and-outs. That's right. Arizona had five consecutive three-and-outs against the league's worst total and third-down defense. Their next drive ended with an interception. It wasn't until the game was essentially over that Brissett found the end zone again. That leaves the question: Is it time for Carson Beck to take over in Arizona?