The former Miami QB Carson Beck finally found his pro home, going to the Arizona Cardinals as the very first pick of the third round (No. 65 overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s a bit of a “steal” for Arizona, especially since Beck was once talked about as a potential number-one overall pick. However, the real awkward irony is that now he has to share the handoffs with the guy who has never had anything pleasant to say about Miami.

Carson Beck did not choose this part. Arizona picked him, and some experts have deemed this move a “waste” after a polarizing last season. But that’s subjective and not even the worst part about his move to the Cardinals. The 23-year-old quarterback will now have to share a backfield with a player, Arizona’s third overall pick, Jeremiyah Love, who openly took shots at Miami. That is why the move feels awkward on Beck’s side.

The beef started when the College Football Playoff committee snubbed Notre Dame and gave the final spot to Miami instead. Jeremiyah Love didn’t hold back, going on a public tirade, claiming Miami “stole” their spot and didn’t belong anywhere near the playoffs.

Love was praying for Miami to trip all playoffs, and he did it openly. He explicitly stated online that he was rooting for Texas A&M to beat Miami in their first-round playoff game.

When the Hurricanes lost the Natty against the Indiana Hoosiers, within five minutes, Love hopped onto his IG handle and posted a story that read, “Brought a smile to my face Indiana.” That level of pettiness should be admired. He even publicly taunted the Hurricanes. Later, during his NFL Combine, when asked about his favorite hurdle, the former Irish RB said of his called-back hurdle play against Miami: “You can tell I don’t really like Miami.”

It’s clear he threw every possible stray at Carson whenever the opportunity presented itself. It all makes it a tad bit awkward now that he has to stand right next to Miami’s former captain in the huddle. Or maybe they’re going to shrug it off.

Regardless, both of their picks are as valuable as it gets. Now, the Cardinals are asking these two rivals to forget all those “mean” comments and social media jabs so they can focus on winning games in the desert.

Why the Arizona Cardinals are the best place for Carson?

Since Kyler Murray left the Arizona Cardinals earlier this year, the Cardinals knew Jacoby Brissett wasn’t the guy. The Arizona Cardinals built this year’s draft around Beck’s strengths. Even though Jacoby is known as QB1 for now, Beck will inevitably be a starter at some point in the season. After all, the Cardinals are pretty clear that they see Jacoby as a bridge QB.

Having Love in his backfield would make Beck’s life so much easier. And he gets to throw to Marvin Harrison and, technically, the best tight end in the country, Trey McBride. The team also made sure to protect him by drafting Chase Bisontis. The Texas A&M Aggies guard/tackle didn’t allow a sack in his last 18 college games. While the draft has been a success, there are clear areas where the Cardinals still need to tighten up.

Even with the Bisontis pick, some analysts believe the team still lacks a long-term “lock” at right tackle opposite Paris Johnson Jr. If veteran Elijah Wilkinson struggles, that edge pressure could be an issue for a non-mobile QB like Beck.

Pass rush is another thing they need to address in the draft. The Cardinals finished near the bottom of the league in sacks last year. While they have young edge rushers like B.J. Ojulari and Jordan Burch, they still lack a consistent double-digit sack guy. The good news is that there are four more rounds to go for the Cardinals. So far, overall, the Cardinals have done a great job of giving him a “cheat code” start to his career.