Carson Beck and Fernando Mendoza could share an NFL field Thursday night, less than seven months after they quarterbacked Miami and Indiana in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Arizona visits Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium on Aug. 13, giving Hurricanes fans another reason to watch two quarterbacks whose paths remain connected to Miami’s 27-21 loss to Indiana in January.
Mendoza should receive an extended opportunity in his first NFL preseason game. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said Tuesday that Mendoza would get “plenty of reps” against Arizona as Las Vegas evaluates its roster. The Raiders selected Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in April following his national championship season at Indiana. Raiders.com reported Kubiak’s plans Tuesday.
Arizona hasn’t announced a specific workload for Beck. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur plans to start Jacoby Brissett and give his top players one drive, with two drives at most. Gardner Minshew II could follow Brissett, while Beck’s number of snaps remains unclear, according to ArizonaCardinals.com.
Beck gave Arizona plenty of incentive to find him more preseason work after an impressive NFL debut.
The former Miami quarterback completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown against Carolina in the Hall of Fame Game. Beck directed two touchdown drives, connected with Jalen Brooks for a 49-yard gain and found Simi Fehoko for a touchdown. Arizona eventually lost 33-30, but Beck’s performance drew praise from LaFleur and strengthened his case for additional opportunities. ArizonaCardinals.com detailed Beck’s debut.
Thursday’s matchup naturally brings back memories from Jan. 19.
Indiana defeated Miami 27-21 at Hard Rock Stadium, with Mendoza completing 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards. Beck completed 19 of 32 for 232 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Mendoza delivered the defining offensive play when he scored on a 12-yard quarterback draw on fourth-and-4, extending Indiana’s lead to 24-14 with 9:18 remaining.
Beck answered with perhaps his best drive of the championship game. Miami marched 91 yards in eight plays before Beck hit Malachi Toney for a 22-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 24-21 with 6:37 left. Indiana later added a field goal before Jamari Sharpe intercepted Beck on Miami’s final possession.
Their NFL journeys now continue on opposite sidelines. Las Vegas invested the draft’s first pick in Mendoza, while Arizona grabbed Beck with the No. 65 overall selection in the third round. The Cardinals cited Beck’s 43 college starts and 3,813 passing yards during his 2025 Miami season after selecting him.
A preseason game won’t carry anything close to January’s stakes. Still, if Beck gets his opportunity Thursday, Hurricanes fans could watch one more chapter in a quarterback matchup that helped define Miami’s 2025 season.
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