After Carson Beck got the call he was going to be starting at quarterback for the Cardinals, he couldn't stop happily pacing his backyard, calling family and friends to deliver the news.

"Obviously, this is a dream of mine," the rookie said on Wednesday. "I was ready to play right then and there."

That Beck, the Cardinals' third-round draft pick, was going to play this season was nearly inevitable from the start, his electric debut in the Hall of Fame game back on Aug. 6 short-circuited quickly by a ribs injury that delayed his timeline.

That timeline was also delayed behind two veteran quarterbacks. But in the span of two weeks, Jacoby Brissett lost his job (and was traded) and Gardner Minshew wrecked his elbow and was lost for the season.

The Cardinals had no choice but to go Beck to the future.

"It's been a crazy season, it's really been a welcome-to-the-NFL season, being introduced to what the league can be," Beck said.

If Minshew hadn't gotten hurt, Beck would still be on the bench. (Although for how much longer is unknown and also moot.) Beck will get an eight-game runway to show the Cardinals what he can bring, driving an analysis of what the organization will need to do in the offseason when it comes to quarterback.

Beck, who turns 25 later this month, has been in the spotlight his whole college career. He played in nationally televised college playoff games with Georgia and Miami, his last collegiate victory in the national semifinals at State Farm Stadium and the Fiesta Bowl.

But given that his last snap in a game was back in Canton, Ohio more than three months ago, there is an unknown.

"You never really know until you get to the live bullets on Sunday, but just the way he goes about his business … I have all the confidence that he's ready to roll," coach Mike LaFleur said.

Sitting and learning wasn't always what the fan base clamored for with Beck, but it was the plan by the Cardinals. With as much NFL football Brissett and Minshew have played, that rubbed off on Beck as he sat and watched.

"Everybody is looking at you as a quarterback, right?" Beck said. "Your attitude has to be right each and every day, the moxie, going out and having confidence, making everyone around you better, I think that's something I learned."

Whether it was being under center for two national powers or just his natural makeup, Beck said it's important to show a swag or moxie as a QB, not only for himself but to bring others that vibe, regardless of what is going on at the time.

His work as a backup was to take all the mental reps, which given his injuries (ribs in preseason, back spasms recently), was the best thing to do. Besides, he said, he wasn't getting starter-like reps anyway and mental reps always are available.

The circumstances aren't perfect. The first defense he'll face features two of the best pass rushers of this generation, Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald. His wide receiver corps looks nothing like what the Cardinals had on the field in Week 1.

But he still has All-Pro tight end Trey McBride, a player with whom Beck has built a friendship with off the field and one that marvels at Beck's smarts and ability to quickly get through his reads on the field.

"I knew his time was coming," McBride said.

Beck referenced a video clip LaFleur showed the team this season. It featured basketball star Steph Curry recalling his big shots against France in the 2024 gold medal basketball game.

"You can't be afraid of a missed shot or a bad possession because that will kind of handcuff you," Curry said in the clip. "You have to be comfortable with the unpredictability of the outcome."

That resonates with Beck as he takes the field in the pros for the first time against a team that has lost once already to the Cardinals.

"That's how you handle the emotions of it," Beck said. "You want to go out and do your best. But when you think too much about that, when you fear failure or you fear not getting the result you want, that's when emotions get in the way."

Beck isn't going to let that happen.

"I think the coolest thing about confidence," he said, "is that confidence is a choice."