Right after a preseason opener win against the Raiders, the Arizona Cardinals got a reassuring update on rookie Carson Beck’s injury.
The anxiety hit Arizona almost instantly, as Beck was sidelined just a few hours before the game due to sore ribs from his Hall of Fame game. The reports had it as a precautionary measure, but the official word from head coach Mike LaFleur was yet to come.
It finally did Friday morning.
“Tough dude. No concern level, really. If this would have been flag football or seven-on-seven, we would have trotted him out there,” LaFleur said per PHNX, confirming that sidelining Beck was simply a precautionary measure.
LaFleur Couldn’t Risk it with Carson Beck
GettyArizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur gives injury update on quarterback Carson Beck.
LaFleur’s decision makes sense, because he wants to keep his rookie asset fresh for the regular season games. Giving Beck some rest after the third-round pick completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown for a quarterback rating of 125.4 against the Panthers during the HoF game was LaFleur playing it safe and taking absolutely zero risks.
He spelled it out himself.
“He could have thrown, he just had discomfort. I was actually talking to Stafford about it and it was one of those things where sometimes a few days later it feels a little bit worse. So being the preseason, I didn’t want to risk it.”
As much as the Cardinals fans were hoping to see Beck back in action, he sat out. Instead, veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew II played the majority of snaps, finishing 14 of 16 for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Almost a lock for QB1 in the regular season, Jacoby Brissett and second-year player Kedon Slovis also saw some action.
“We want to see these guys out there, but it was what it was. We thought that was in the best interest to make sure that we sat him back.”
It wasn’t just the Cardinals head coach, though. Beck himself wanted to take no chances since the ribs kept him unsure.
Beck Backs LaFleur
GettyThe Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur gives injury update on quarterback Carson Beck.
ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reported Beck was injured on the first drive of the Hall of Fame Game when sliding on a quarterback scramble. Beck confirmed that it still lingered even after a whole week of practice.
“It sucks,” Beck said, according to the Arizona Cardinals’ Darren Urban. “Just didn’t want to get hit again and make it worse. Kind of lingered throughout the week.”
There’s another reason for Beck to say it “sucks.” The QB2 competition.
Mineshew’s years of experience in the NFL give him the advantage in locking the backup quarterback role. Beck, however, has the tools and the impressive snaps from the Hall of Fame game to make a solid case of his own.
The preseason game was supposed to be one of the remaining games where Beck proves himself as the backup behind Brissett for the regular season. Since he couldn’t play against the Raiders, Beck now has only two remaining chances to get a leg up over Mineshew: next week’s preseason game 2 against the Dallas Cowboys and their third preseason game against the Packers.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Cardinals Get Reassuring Carson Beck Injury Update from Mike LaFleur appeared first on HEAVY.