For Carson Beck, being QB2 is a change. Being active on game day will be a change.
Beyond that? Not much else will change for the rookie.
"Mentally where I had been at was trying to find what my day to day and each week was going to look like," Beck told azcardinals.com. "You try to prepare the same way as if you were the starter.
"When you are the starter, it's different, no matter what anybody says. But you can try to create that plan and create the preparation for what it looks like when you finally are the guy. Then you are not stressing. You have that plan set in place."
Coach Mike LaFleur said elevating Beck to the backup spot was "the right thing to do." That will be solidified when the Cardinals finalize the trade of former starter Jacoby Brissett in the next day or two.
"I know (Beck) is prepared to go in there if need be," LaFleur said. "Just like Gardner, just like anyone that you ask that's going to be on this team, they're prepared as if they're going to be the starting quarterback or they're prepared if they have to go in. I know that he has (a) full grasp of this game plan, of this system.
"It's no secret, obviously, if something were to happen, it'd be nice to know what we have right there. I feel really good about where he is with his development, so if that were to come up, then obviously he'd be the next one in."
Beck has not appeared in a game since the preseason-opening Hall of Fame game, when he was excellent, completing 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown. When he was tackled by then-Panthers defensive lineman Jared Harrison-Hunte (coincidentally, now a Cardinals teammate), Beck hurt his ribs and missed the balance of the preseason games.
As the emergency third quarterback in the first eight games of the regular season, Beck has not had the option to play. Now as Gardner Minshew's backup, that will change.
"You are one play away," Beck said. "Gardner showed that last week and he showed the playbook of what it's like to do that. So being there, and being there for him and whatever he needs me to do, whether it is watch extra film or see a certain look, or give some kind of feedback, I just want to be the best I can for him."
