Kurt Warner: Carson Beck may have that ‘something’ factor to turn Cardinals around

The Arizona Cardinals shocked many by drafting Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. While it’s easy to write the pick off, Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner says not so fast.

Beck had an up-and-down college career. He won two national championships as a backup at Georgia and then played three seasons (two as a Bulldog and one as a Hurricane) as a starter, including two years with at least 3,800 passing yards and a 72.4% completion percentage.

However, he also threw 12 interceptions in each of his final two college seasons, leading the SEC in 2024.

Warner told Arizona Sports’ Bickley and Marotta on Tuesday that he believes Beck fell into the category of quarterbacks in this year’s draft that aren’t ready to be starters right away, but could be that guy with the right supporting cast.

“I really like Carson’s tape. He played in a lot of big games. He understands how to play the position,” Warner said. “So, there’s a lot to like about Carson Beck. To me, the question just becomes, does he have that something extra?”

Warner referenced San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who was Mr. Irrelevant five years ago. The Iowa State Cyclone didn’t have all the physical attributes or talent scouts look for in a quarterback, but he got in the game and figured out ways to win.

“When Brock Purdy comes on the scene and still to this day, we’re not blown away by the physical traits or the things that he does with his cannon arm or anything like that. But he’s shown us that he’s got something to him,” Warner said. “That moxie, that ability to make big throws, that ability to understand how to make different throws and come up with big plays in the moment.

“That, to me, is what the rest of this class has to prove.”

Purdy was thrown in as a starter for the 49ers his rookie year due to injuries at the position and didn’t look back. He didn’t need to be the star. He simply needed to get the ball to San Francisco’s playmakers and that’s what he did, advancing to the NFC Championship Game in 2022 and the Super Bowl in 2023.

Warner has also gotten to know Beck a little more through his son, E.J. Warner. The two have been training together and Beck’s dedication to the game has stood out.

“E.J. was telling me how smart he was, how good he was in the room and a student of the game, which, to me, is just as important as anything else,” Warner said.

Beck wasn’t a popular pick in the third round, but the Cardinals got a player to drive fans to games with the No. 3 overall pick (Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love) and a massive, experienced offensive lineman in the second round (Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis). Arizona felt it could take a flyer on Beck after that.

Warner said Beck, and the rest of the 2026 quarterback class behind Mendoza, will now have to prove that they belong in the NFL.

“They’ve got to prove they’ve got something that makes them a starter in the National Football League. So, I don’t think this was a bad pick, you know, trying to find that next guy when you’ve got guys on your roster that I think we all look at as good players but backup quarterback-type players,” Warner said. “To take a shot and say maybe he can be that guy. We really like his tape. We really like what we saw in college. He’s really good college quarterback.

“Maybe he’s got that something that, you know, can help us turn the corner and he can become that guy.”

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