INDIANAPOLIS — Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck chose to clarify a couple of misconceptions on his past 15 months leading into the late April NFL draft at his interview with reporters at the scouting combine Friday.

For one, he pushed back against the notion that he renewed a love for the game that was once lost while at Georgia with his transfer to UM.

“I don’t think it was a falling-in-love again,” Beck said. “I always loved football, and again, it was more about coming back from an injury, being able to come out of that and have the opportunity to play football again. I don’t think it was ever a matter of whether I love football or not. I was doing this since I was 5 years old. It’s the game that I’ve loved and cherished my whole entire life, essentially.”

That injury suffered at the end of his time with the Bulldogs was to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing elbow. It occurred in the 2024 SEC Championship Game that December and led to young passer Gunner Stockton succeeding him.

Beck originally intended to enter the 2025 draft as he recovered from the surgically repaired elbow, but he reversed course last year and returned to college football, transferring to Miami.

He also wanted to clear up Friday that “there was no bad blood” between him and Georgia when he returned to college. Beck had declared for the past draft even through his ailment, and by the time went back on that decision, Georgia was moving forward with Stockton and it was simply time for a change of scenery for Beck.

Recovering from the elbow injury was what he said he was most proud of in his path to the NFL. Beck was back for camp ahead of the season, and in a short period of time with his new teammates, helped take the Hurricanes to the national championship. They finished within a touchdown drive of winning the school’s sixth football title, with Beck intercepted in the final minute Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium against Indiana.

“It’s a really hard journey,” Beck said. “It’s obviously a really hard thing mentally and physically not knowing if I was ever going to have that opportunity to play quarterback at the level that I had. Getting through that is something that I’ve been super proud of.”

Beck completed 72.4 percent of passes in his 16 games as Miami’s signal-caller, throwing for 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

The Dolphins are probably looking for a quarterback in the draft — and maybe in the middle rounds where Beck is likely to land.

It’s within the realm of possibility that the Dolphins keep Beck in South Florida. He reported a formal meeting with Miami’s pro football franchise in Indianapolis.

“I thought it went really well,” Beck said. “Sometimes, it’s kind of hard to read how the interviews go because you got 20 guys sitting around you, nailing you with questions over and over again. Obviously, I just want to be myself in those interviews, let them know who I am, what I stand for and what I can bring to the table.”

The Cleveland Browns would also be a team to watch to draft Beck. Their new head coach is Todd Monken, who was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia for Beck’s first three college seasons, when Beck was backing up Stetson Bennett.

In the 2026 draft, after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, largely considered the No. 1 pick, Alabama’s Ty Simpson is projected as the second quarterback off the board.

The Dolphins figure to watch Simpson throw at the combine Saturday and do their due diligence in scouting him, even if they figure to address a different position in the first round. After those two, the next tier of quarterbacks include Beck, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State’s Drew Allar and Arkansas’ Taylen Green.

2026 salary cap

The Dolphins and the NFL’s other 31 teams now know the number they will work with for the 2026 salary cap.

The league announced Friday this year’s salary cap will be $301.2 million. That represents a $22 million jump per club.

Miami must be under the cap at the start of the new league year 4 p.m. March 11. The team has gotten to work on getting below the figure with the announced cuts of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, offensive guard James Daniels and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

The Dolphins have also informed outside linebacker Bradley Chubb he will be released, and they must find a resolution with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which could come in the form of a post-June 1 cut, assuming they don’t find a trade partner.