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2026 NFL Draft: Contract details revealed for Cardinals 3rd-round pick Carson Beck

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz04/25/26NickSchultz_7

With the first pick of the third round in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected quarterback Carson Beck. He is set to sign a four-year contract worth $7.4 million, according to Spotrac.

Beck spent one season at Miami and led the Hurricanes to the national championship. He completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,813 yards and a career-high 30 touchdowns, to 12 interceptions. That came after a five-year run at Georgia from 2020-24.

Beck took over as Georgia’s starting quarterback in 2023 and threw for a career-high 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns that year. He then chose to run it back with the Bulldogs and had an up-and-down go in 2024. Beck threw for 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns, but led the SEC with 12 picks as a fifth-year senior.

During his two seasons as the QB1 in Athens, Beck led the Bulldogs to two consecutive SEC Championship appearances and one conference title win. He was the backup QB in 2021 and 2022, and both teams won national championships.

Before playing for Georgia and Miami, Beck was a standout player in high school. He played at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida, and was ranked No. 225 in the 2020 Rivals Industry Rankings.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Carson Beck

With Beck now in the NFL, fans are wondering if he can make an immediate impact. NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein shared his thoughts on how Beck will be as a pro quarterback.

“Beck has NFL-caliber size and a lot of experience playing in high-leverage games,” Zierlein wrote. “He recovered from 2024 UCL surgery on his throwing elbow, but he appeared to lose some drive velocity on deep balls and move throws. He works through progressions at a good pace and can throw with anticipation, but he loses track of safeties, throwing into hazardous spots.

“Beck’s decision-making showed more maturity in his final college season, but pressure can pull him back into old habits. He spins a catchable ball with a compact release, but spotty accuracy leads to pass breakups and a lower conversion rate on tight-window throws. Beck projects as a good backup with the potential to earn a starting job down the road, but he must continue developing game-managing instincts.”