The Arizona Cardinals had a quarterback problem heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Whether they solved it by drafting Miami’s Carson Beck at No. 65 overall in the third round will now be up for discussion.
Beck ended up being only the third quarterback off the board after Fernando Mendoza was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders and Ty Simpson by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round. The former Hurricanes signal caller will now head to Arizona, where he will have a real chance to compete for the starting job against Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew.
The quarterback room took an obvious hit after the team released seven-year starter and former first-round pick Kyler Murray, who then signed with the Minnesota Vikings. However, some believe Beck has starter potential.
“Beck’s excellent play in the College Football Playoff changed the narrative on him, and there are believers around the NFL in his ability as a future starter,” ESPN’s Matt Miller wrote.
Mike LaFleur Gives Strong Early Take On Carson Beck
Shortly after Beck was drafted, new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur talked about his new quarterback.
“He’s a big, solid dude,” LaFleur said, via Tyler Drake. “I mean, he’s 6-foot-4, he’s 235 pounds. He looks the part, right? That doesn’t mean that that’s the end all be all by any means. Natural thrower, he’s tough.
“I think one of the coolest things about him, especially after being around him… He’s been through those big games, but he’s been through some adversity, too. That’s well-documented, it’s out there. And I think he’s gotten better from it.”
Beck spent five years in college between Georgia and Miami, appearing in 55 games. He was part of two national championship victories with the Bulldogs as a backup. He then led the Hurricanes back to the national title game last year as a starter, though they lost to Indiana.
For his career, he threw for 11,725 yards, 88 touchdowns and 32 interceptions.
As for adversity, Beck had to overcome a major injury to his throwing arm in the 2024 SEC Championship Game. That led to UCL repair surgery, which derailed his NFL draft plans at the time before he later signed with Miami through the transfer portal.
Beck was also coming off a season at Georgia that saw his interception total double from the year prior. That, along with the injury, hurt his draft stock after once being projected as a first-round selection.
Carson Beck May Need Time Before Starting
Despite knowing the Cardinals were going to move on from Murray and begin thinking about their future at quarterback, their immediate plan did not seem ideal. Both Brissett and Minshew have served as reliable backups throughout their careers, but they are not full-time starters.
Even with all of his college experience, Beck still may not become Arizona’s Week 1 starter over the two veterans.
“Not at first. The goal of drafting Beck wasn’t to make him the starter but to let him learn,” ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss said. “But depending on how the season plays out, there is a possibility that Beck sees the field at some point after Thanksgiving at a minimum to see what the Cardinals have in him as they enter a quarterback-heavy draft in 2027.”
Then again, if the Cardinals can’t work out the contract situation with Brissett, his chances would increase at earning the job.
“You never want to assume a quarterback drafted in Round 3 can become a star, but Beck has shown starting-caliber traits in the past and is a very good fit in coach Mike LaFleur’s offense,” Miller said.
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