Carson Beck hit with ‘buyer beware’ warning by former NFL GM amid Cardinals and Steelers interest

Carson Beck is just days aways from learning his fate.

The two-time college football National Champion is hoping that he will hear his name called out at the 2026 NFL Draft.

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Aside from Fernando Mendoza, who is the consensus No. 1 overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders, the other quarterbacks in the draft class could land anywhere, and in any order.

Ty Simpson, Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier and Beck headline what is labelled a fairly weak QB class behind Mendoza.

But NFL Draft guru Mike Mayock has fired a strong warning towards teams who may be considering selecting Beck.

“He goes to Miami and, to his credit, plays in a championship game. But you look at the positivity of Mendoza’s nervous system, and I look at Carson Beck the opposite way,” Mayock, the former Raiders general manager, said.

“The way I ended my report this year on him after a bunch of stuff was basically ‘buyer beware’. In key situations, I can’t trust this kid.

“So after Mendoza and Simpson, those are the three guys I find intriguing. I think the safest one is Nussmeier.

“I’m really intrigued with trying to work with Allar as a backup for two or three years. And Carson Beck has a lot of traits and ability, but not for me.”

Mayock’s words issue particularly strong criticism to a 23-year-old quarterback who entered the transfer portal after five seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs – albeit mainly playing second-fiddle – to join the Miami Hurricanes who hadn’t reached a national championship title game since 2001.

In his lone season with the Canes, Beck completed 72.4 percent of his passes for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns to 12 interceptions as Miami fell just shy of becoming national champions in what was a Cinderella-like run to the Mendoza-led Indiana Hoosiers.

Cardinals and Steelers emerge as strongest suitors

Despite Mayock sounding the alarm on how Beck may translate to the pro level, the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers appear to hold the strongest links to the young signal caller.

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The Cardinals are, as it stands, set to enter the 2026 season with veteran Jacoby Brissett under center, after he earned the starting role from Kyler Murray – who is no longer with the team.

But over recent days, the NFC West team have been linked with Alabama quarterback of Ty Simpson, who has been dubbed as the 2026 version of Shedeur Sanders.

According to Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft, he predicts the Cardinals will go to Arizona at No. 30 via trade.

Should the Cardinals choose to go in a different direction, the Steelers could be on hand to take Beck.

ESPN’s draft expert Bill Connelly likened Beck’s play, his quick release of the ball in particular, to that of “the college version of late-career Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers.”

Of course, the Steelers had Rodgers on their roster for 2025, but the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer has yet to make a decision on whether he will return to the storied franchise for a second go.

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