# Carson Strong

Carson Brown Strong (born September 14, 1999) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, and was also a member of the Arizona Cardinals and Michigan Panthers. He played college football at Nevada.

## Early years

Strong was born on September 14, 1999, in Vacaville, California. He later attended Will C. Wood High School, where he passed for 2,732 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior. He did not play his senior season due to a knee injury. In June 2017, Strong announced his commitment to play college football at the University of Nevada, Reno. Nevada was Strong's only FBS offer despite being a three-star recruit.

## College career

Strong made his debut at Nevada against Portland State in August 2018, where he rushed for 4 yards in the 72–19 win. He redshirted his first year at Nevada. Strong was named the starting quarterback for the 2019 season. In 10 starts, he completed 237 of 374 passes for 2,335 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He returned as a starter in 2020. Despite a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Strong and the Wolf Pack finished with a 7–2 record and won against Tulane in the 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Strong started 9 games that season, completing 249 of 355 passes for 2,858 yards, 27 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, winning the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year award.
In 2021, Strong led the Wolf Pack to an 8–4 record in his best season at Nevada. Strong completed 366 of 522 passes for 4,175 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, winning the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year award again and becoming the fifth player in conference history to win the award in back-to-back years. On December 14, 2021, Strong announced his intention to opt-out of the 2021 Quick Lane Bowl and to declare for the 2022 NFL draft.

### College statistics

| Season | Games | Games | Games | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing |
| Season | GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 | 9 | 5–4 | 237 | 374 | 63.4 | 2,335 | 11 | 7 | 121.8 | 54 | 6 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2020 | 9 | 9 | 7–2 | 249 | 355 | 70.1 | 2,858 | 27 | 4 | 160.6 | 33 | 95 | 2.9 | 0 |
| 2021 | 12 | 12 | 8–4 | 367 | 524 | 70.0 | 4,186 | 36 | 8 | 156.8 | 51 | 208 | 4.1 | 0 |
| Career | 32 | 30 | 20–10 | 853 | 1,253 | 68.1 | 9,379 | 74 | 19 | 147.5 | 139 | 305 | 2.2 | 0 |

## Professional career

Pre-draft measurables :
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wonderlic |
| 6 ft 3+3⁄8 in (1.91 m) | 226 lb (103 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 22 |
| All values from NFL Combine |||||

### Philadelphia Eagles

On April 30, 2022, Strong signed an undrafted free-agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. It included a $20,000 signing bonus and $300,000 base guarantee. He was released on August 30.

### Arizona Cardinals

On December 13, 2022, Strong was signed to the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals. He was released one week later.

### Michigan Panthers

On March 19, 2023, Strong signed with the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL). He was placed on injured reserve on May 16, 2023. He was not part of the roster after the 2024 UFL dispersal draft on January 15, 2024, and was waived on January 29. Two days later, Strong announced his retirement from playing, citing recurrent knee issues.

### USFL statistics

| Year | Team | Games | Games | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg |
| 2023 | MICH | 4 | 0 | 31 | 49 | 63.3 | 266 | 5.4 | 1 | 2 | 67.2 |

## Coaching career

On July 21, 2023, Strong joined Colorado State University's coaching staff under Jay Norvell as a volunteer assistant.
A week after starting at Colorado State, Strong joined his alma mater Nevada's coaching staff as an assistant coach.