It has been widely reported in recent weeks following the SEC Championship game that Georgia's starting quarterback Carson Beck would miss the Bulldogs' Sugar Bowl playoff game (against Notre Dame). Unfortunately, based on what sources have told A to Z Sports, there's even more bad news and tough choices ahead for Beck, Kirby Smart, and Georgia.

As many know by now, Carson Beck sustained an injury to his throwing arm just before halftime in the SEC Championship matchup against the Texas Longhorns (in most cases sources mention his UCL being injured specifically). However, more details have emerged to bring much more clarity on Beck's near-term status.

Sources close to Beck and Georgia tell A to Z Sports that while Carson Beck's UCL is "intact" it is also separated from the bone which will almost certainly require some kind of surgery.

This all but surely means that Carson Beck is out not only for the quarterfinal matchup against Notre Dame, but also quite likely for the entirety of the College Football Playoff, all star games like the Shrine Bowl or Senior Bowl, and perhaps all of the NFL Draft preparation process in terms of physical participation should he choose to declare this spring.

Pete Thamel of ESPN already reported last Thursday that Beck and his camp were "exploring surgical options". Kirby Smart confirmed that Carson Beck still had not been with the team as of late last week as he and his family were weighing their options.

So what does this truly mean for Carson Beck? For the Georgia Bulldogs? And perhaps for Beck's NFL future?

Given all the available details to us, A to Z Sports wanted to find out more and dig deeper. We approached multiple physical therapists familiar with UCL injuries, various treatments, surgical options, and recovery timelines to help paint of picture of what the near future might look like for Beck and the Georgia Bulldogs.

But first–in case you somehow missed the injury–here's a slow motion look at the play where Trey Moore (edge defender for Texas) collided with Carson Beck in the SEC Championship:

Carson Beck took a big shot there pic.twitter.com/23lj7W4qKF

— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) December 7, 2024

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What exactly does it mean for Carson Beck's immediate future if his UCL is indeed "separated from the bone"? What are his likely options? What about a recovery timeline?

A to Z Sports met with Jeff Mueller (PT, DPT) and Tom Christ (PT, DPT, OC, FAAOMPT)–two reputable doctors of physical therapy–to find out what we might expect to see in the very near future for the talented Georgia quarterback.

A to Z Sports' sources would not (or could not) clarify the status of the UCL ligament itself, so both Dr. Mueller and Dr. Christ provided multiple options for us, depending on the true severity of the injury:

First, if Beck's UCL is indeed in decent shape itself then the most likely option wouldn't be as daunting. Both Mueller and Christ suggested that a repair utilizing an "internal brace" might be the most ideal scenario (similar to San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy's injury which Christ actually wrote about here).

The surgical repair and "internal brace" approach would allow for a much faster timeline to full recovery (5-6 months per Mueller and Christ). However, even with this faster path it would likely mean Beck isn't throwing a football near full speed until early summer 2025.

Second, if the UCL was damaged significantly, then a full "Tommy John" surgery may be required. That recovery timeline for quarterbacks specifically can take 9-12 months for passers to return to play according to Mueller ("9 months minimum") and Christ ("11 months at the soonest").

Dr. Mueller did also mention that in some cases platelet-rich plasma/biologics with a small procedure to trim away small tears can be an option. However, again, given the reported severity of the injury this is quite likely an impossibility for Beck.

This leaves Beck, his family, and the Georgia Bulldogs in a tough spot. Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are almost assuredly without Beck the rest of the way in the College Football Playoff. That means a lot noe rests on the shoulders of young backup quarterback Gunner Stockton who inspiringly carried Georgia to victory in the SEC Championship game after Carson Beck went down with his injury.

So what now?

Carson Beck does still have one more year of eligibility remaining if he wants to return to Athens, but would he even be fully healthy? Depending on the severity of his surgical needs he might not even be ready to play by the beginning of next season.

He could simply choose to declare for the pros, but given his up-and-down performance this past fall (too many interceptions) and his injury, professional teams might not look to invest in him very early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

There's a ton of uncertainty at the moment, regardless of which path Carson Beck chooses. However, given that Beck does have remaining eligibility, it might be prudent to come back for one more ride with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2025. Even if he is subjected to a longer recovery time, there's more a than decent chance he's healthy for the 2025 College Football Playoff. And college players do get paid these days, so it's not like he would be missing out on the "pro pay day" he could get in the NFL.

There's also the other quarterbacks in the 2025 and 2026 NFL Draft classes to consider. This year's crop isn't considered exactly "elite" with Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) and Cam Ward (Miami) being the only current "consensus" round one quarterbacks at the moment. Outside of those two Carson Beck would likely be competing with Jalen Milroe of Alabama, Quinn Ewers of Texas, and Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss for decent 2025 NFL Draft capital.

Comparing that group to the potential top options in 2026, if Beck returns to Georgia, he'd likely be facing off against Penn State's Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik of Clemson, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, perhaps Arch Manning of Texas, Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava, and a couple other likely passers who have yet to fully emerge. So yes, it's going to be a tough choice for Carson Beck to make when it comes to the NFL Draft or a return to Kirby Smart and Georgia.

Regardless of which option Beck chooses, we'll certainly find out more here soon. Based on how things have gone so far, it seems Kirby Smart and company are going to act like a Beck return in the short-term is still perhaps on the table as long as the public will buy that. Sadly, that's almost certainly not happening for this year's College Football Playoff.

Hopefully, for Georgia Bulldogs fans, Carson Beck gets the medical help he needs, fully recovers, and he chooses to return to Athens in 2025. Either way, whether it's the NFL or a return to Georgia for Beck, let's just hope he ends up perfectly healthy and successful sooner rather than later.

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We'll be back with more Georgia Bulldogs coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to look back at some of the special moments Carson Beck provided Georgia just check out his 2024 highlights in the video below!