Dante Moore May Have Given Up Over $50 Million By Returning To College

The NFL Draft is still a few months away, though that hasn't stopped plenty of reporters and analysts from putting together mock drafts. That's especially true now that the playoffs are underway and many teams know where they'll be picking. This past season saw four teams tie for the worst record at 3-14. After tiebreakers, the first four selections will be made by the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans.

Tennessee had the No. 1 pick last year and selected Cam Ward to be its quarterback of the future. They're not in the market for another QB, but those other three teams certainly are. While most mock drafts have Indiana's Fernando Mendoza going first overall to the Raiders, quite a few had the Jets selecting Oregon quarterback Dante Moore with the second pick. Even if the Jets looked elsewhere, the Cardinals at No. 3 seem ready to move on from Kyler Murray under center, and Moore is an enticing option.

That means Moore would have wound up with a rookie contract between about $51 and $52.6 million over four seasons. His first-year salary would have been either $9.56 million or $9.27 million if he were selected second or third, respectively. But he gave up that potential pay day to return to Oregon for one more shot at a national championship.

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It's an understandable move from a competitive standpoint. The Ducks reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff and finished the year with a strong 13-2 record. Moore was named to the Third-Team All-Big Ten, and Oregon should once again be a title contender next season. He clearly feels like he has unfinished business at the school.

And, if he's looking at the NFL teams in line to draft him, he'd be stepping into dire situations. The Cardinals need to shore up their offensive line quite a bit, which is a tough ask of any quarterback, let alone a rookie. And while Jets fans got a brief flicker of hope when Aaron Rodgers signed with the team in 2023, that turned out to be a disappointment. Justin Fields, one of the Jets' quarterbacks this year, had a game where he completed nine of 16 passes for 45 yards while getting sacked nine times for -55 yards in the same game. The Jets having -10 yards passing in a game feels fitting for how rough it's been over there.

Moore may have considered the state of both teams and thought he'd be better off continuing to improve his game in college, then enter next year as another top quarterback—perhaps the very top of a loaded class.

Monetarily, though, it's a fairly significant gamble. Moore made an estimated $2.3 million in name, image, and likeness (NIL) money this past season. Even if he doubles that next year, it's still less than half of what he'd earn in his rookie season. And it's nowhere close to the financial security the NFL could offer.

In essence, Moore is betting on himself for one more season. NFL salaries will continue to rise, so he could pocket a few extra million by waiting another year, particularly if he moves up to the top overall pick.

It's also worth remembering that being in college is a unique experience. Maybe Moore just wants one more year of being a college kid before he has to enter the real world. Sure, he won't have NFL levels of money, but he'll still make millions in the process. That's not a terrible deal, either.