After planning to return to college in the 2025 season, Carson Beck's NFL moment came in the 2026 season. The Arizona Cardinals declined trade interest in the 65th overall pick, holding their spot early in the third round to draft Beck. But turns out that they did not have any strict plans for the quarterback position.

Beck's college career spanned across 6 seasons between the Georgia Bulldogs and Miami Hurricanes. The quarterback has won two national titles with Georgia as a backup and led the Miami Hurricanes to another College Football Playoff championship. Yet, the Cardinals' general manager, Monti Ossenfort, has made a surprising admission. 

“Priority? No, I don't think so," he said during a news conference after Day 2 of the NFL draft when a reporter asked him if the quarterback position was a priority. "We never want to force a pick. Ultimately, at 65, Carson was a great fit for us at that point. If it wouldn't have worked out, then we would have went on to the next guy.”

Beck joins a Cardinals quarterback group led by veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, both entering contract years. Brissett, the projected starter, has been absent from voluntary workouts while pursuing a pay raise.

In this quarterback situation, Mike Mayock, the former Las Vegas Raiders general manager and NFL Network analyst, dropped a warning. Days before the NFL Draft, he made an assessment of the quarterbacks behind the then-projected No.1 Fernando Mendoza.

During his six full seasons in college, Beck attempted to throw the football 1,390 times while connecting on 966 of those throws. The quarterback has 11,725 passing yards and a staggering 88 passing touchdowns to his name.

The numbers show that there is experience when it comes to Carson Beck. According to Mayock, the difference between a long-term starter and a career backup often comes down to handling pressure, avoiding turnovers, and executing in critical moments.

He goes to Miami and, to his credit, plays in a championship game," Mayock said. "But you look at the positivity of Mendoza's nervous system, and I look at Carson Beck the opposite way. The way I ended my report this year on him... was basically 'buyer beware'. In key situations, I can't trust this kid."

Meanwhile, Ossenfort also explained why the Cardinals picked the Miami Hurricanes quarterback. 

Why Did the Cardinals Pick Carson Beck?

Carson Beck did meet with the Cardinals on a top-30 visit, and the Cardinals also met with him at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. 

The Cardinals and GM decided to roll the dice after the sheer amount of football that Beck had played in college.

“There was no shortage of tape to evaluate on Carson. Carson's played a lot of ball, in a lot of big game environments,” he said. "The highest stage that he could play on in the national championship this year, all those playoff games. I think of things that sold us on Carson, and we were excited to add him to our room.” 

Carson Beck may not possess the same eye-catching arm talent or physical upside as Drew Allar or Garrett Nussmeier. But the 6-foot-5 quarterback has shown he can efficiently manage games, elevate the talent around him.

In many cases, he produced stronger college numbers than both. Nussmeier racked up 7,699 yards, and Allar came up with 7,402 yards, while Beck hit the 11,000-yard record.

Will Beck prove that the Cardinals made the right move by drafting him even though it was not their plan? Share your thoughts.

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Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar