When the Bulldogs defeated the Longhorns in the SEC Final last week, QB Carson Beck may have sustained a significant injury to his throwing arm. The Georgia quarterback did make a comeback for a single play, but his only task was to pass the ball. The elbow injury sustained by Beck is currently being assessed.

Timothy Gibson, an orthopedic surgeon at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif, saw Beck took in the SEC Championship Game. Gibson’s immediate reaction was either it was a shoulder sublex injury or an elbow UCL injury. UCL injuries have three grades, the lowest being a minimal tear. “My gut feeling would be even a Grade 1, he would not be playing soon. He might avoid surgery, but I wouldn’t think he’s playing anytime soon. I would think three to four weeks would be as fast as possible. But there are so many variables with his exam, tenderness, if it hurts to throw in four weeks, he’s not going to play,” Gibson said.

The doctor thinks if Beck decides not to play, he can not be blamed for that. “I wouldn’t give up on it. But he also might decide it’s not worth it for his career. That’s a legit option for him. ‘It’s not worth it. I have a bad injury, I need to be ready for next year.’ That wouldn’t be selfish. That would be reasonable because the risk of going back even with a Grade 1 is re-injury,” he noted.

As of right now, the Bulldogs are keeping quiet and have not provided a timeline for when their quarterback will be ready to play again. They did not announce the results of the MRI, so the grade is unknown, although multiple sources briefed on the matter said Monday it was the UCL. It didn’t even say it was to the UCL, only that it was an elbow injury.

Beck has played his final game of collegiate football, though, if the injury is as severe as many people think. Now, the new NFL Rookie Watch report suggests Beck’s football future might be in trouble. “The Bulldogs QB may not be done with college, just YET 😳” was the startling caption that NFL Rookie Watch included beside a photo of Carson Beck on December 14. However, why?

According to the piece of writing, Beck is “seriously debating” going back to school, skipping the NFL Draft, and making use of his final year of eligibility. Given that he won both of his championships as Stetson Bennett’s backup QB, Beck allegedly “wants his own” National Title as a starting quarterback. But according to reports, several NFL scouts think that since starting this past season as the quarterback, Beck’s draft value has “dropped significantly.” Will he then continue to work with CFB in the future?

See, over the past year, Beck has experienced an incredible journey. A year earlier, as a possible first-round pick, he extended his time on the college journey. Given that the first edition of the 2024 NFL Draft picked six quarterbacks, the selection made sense on draft day.
However, a year later, the gamble on himself appears to have been a poor choice. Beck has not benefited from an obviously subpar Bulldogs offense during the season, nor has he helped the team.

In a number of games, Beck has thrown several interceptions and has continuously suffered from turnovers. He has tied for the most interceptions in the nation with 12 as of mid-November. But he has also fumbled multiple times. Beck threw 20 of 31 passes for 186 yards in a recent defeat to Ole Miss (28–10), with one interception and no touchdowns. It was noted that this effort was among his poorest of the season. His prior season, in which he had just six interceptions in the entire season, stands in sharp contrast to this.

Thus, the issue still stands: will Carson Beck’s injury prevent him from being selected in the 2025 NFL Draft? Let’s explore it in more detail to see how crucial it is.

Could Carson Beck’s injury tank his 2025 NFL draft position?

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer claims that the injury is similar to the one that Brock Purdy sustained during the 2023 NFC Title Game. Purdy needed surgery for the injury, which kept him out of action for the entire summer. However, Purdy has been numerically outstanding since returning, even winning MVP honors the previous season when the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl but lost in OT.

However, things are not looking good for the 5th-year Georgia quarterback right now. On top of that, Breer thinks the impact, particularly to Beck’s throwing arm, will cause him to take a serious hit when the draft rolls around. Any team willing to take a chance on Beck would be delighted if he could pull off a Purdy-style comeback.

The Dolphins selected Beck 98th overall in the most recent 7-Phase NFL Mock Draft by Pro Football Network. But it was prior to the injury, which might cause him to fall further in the rankings. Considering that the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, and Las Vegas Raiders are all looking for a QB, Beck might be a safe, high-reward choice later in the selection. There have already been analogies to the Purdy injury, so maybe there will be more Mr. Irrelevant stories to come. But Beck’s football career remains uncertain.