The Georgia Bulldogs were defeated in the Sugar Bowl 23-10 by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Thursday, Jan. 2. NFL-bound Carson Beck was unable to play after undergoing elbow surgery to repair a right elbow injury sustained in the Bulldogs’ SEC Championship Game victory over the Texas Longhorns.
Gunner Stockton started the game, but Beck was still there with his team on the sideline. However, a video was posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that showed Beck standing there stoically, not cheering on his team.
Fans Call Out Carson Beck for Not Cheering On His Team at the Sugar Bowl
When the video of Beck on the sideline not cheering was posted, several fans reacted negatively. Many of them believed that he was being a poor teammate for not cheering. However, it is unclear if this is the case as the video posted was only a four-second clip. It is entirely possible that he was cheering his team on at different points in the game. However, that did not stop many fans from reacting negatively.
“Terrible teammate,” one fan wrote.
Terrible teammate
— Austin (@Austin53431179) January 2, 2025
“He was probably happy the backup couldn’t get it done,” one fan commented.
“From what I hear, he wasn’t the popular guy in the locker room anyway,” one fan added.
From what I hear, he wasn’t the popular guy in the locker room anyway
— Bill (@CranxCh) January 3, 2025
Fans continued to respond to the post, but some of them were more even-keeled. Some gave Beck more grace for the clip.
“Some Georgia fans were saying he sucked and they were better off with Stockton. Good for him,” one fan wrote.
Some Georgia fans were saying he sucked and they were better off with Stockton. Good for him 😂
— CT (@Ctorres5158) January 3, 2025
“What’s he gonna do with an arm he just had surgery on? Jump around and wave his arms around,” one fan commented.
“Let me guess, you want him to clap? You want him to lift his hands up and cheer? You want him to go dap up his teammates? Plz tell me exactly what you want him to do. Dumb a**,” one fan added.
Let me guess, you want him to clap? You want him to lift his hands up and cheer? You want him to go dap up his teammates? Plz tell me exactly what you want him to do. Dumb ass
— HENDAWG (@henDAWG55) January 3, 2025
Part of the reason Beck might not have been cheering as much as some fans would have liked is he is recovering from right elbow surgery. Cheering usually involves raising your arms, clapping, and doing other large motions with your upper extremities. Based on Beck’s injury, those movements might not have been possible.
How Does Beck Shape Up as an NFL Prospect
Beck is expected to enter the 2025 NFL draft. According to Pro Football Focus, he is the seventh highest rated quarterback prospect in the 2025 class, and 107th highest rated prospect overall.
In Pro Football Network’s latest seven-round NFL mock draft, Jacob Infante had Beck being selected by the New York Jets with the 96th pick at the back end of the third round.
“The Aaron Rodgers experiment hasn’t worked out as planned in New York. Whether or not the Jets keep him for 2025 remains to be seen, but they need a long-term option eventually,” Infante wrote. “Beck didn’t have the 2024 season many expected from him, but his early-season tape and performance in 2023 showed plenty of reason to be excited.”
In Dalton Miller’s early 2025 NFL Draft QB rankings, he also harkened back to Beck’s promising 2023 campaign but held reservations about what he displayed in 2024 and what it means for his NFL projection:
“If it was only a case of physical errors leading to mistakes, we could maybe ease Beck back into managing the game while slightly elevating those around them. But he’s completely lost confidence in what once looked like a solid pre- and post-snap process. He’s losing middle-of-the-field defenders and testing non-existent windows at an unsustainable rate.
“Beck still has that 2023 form locked away somewhere. He could still round into a good but not great starter at the NFL level. That’s a realistic goal to set for the Georgia QB. But he needs a full mental reset to get his body back on track.”