$2.3 million QB's agents urged to call struggling NFL team as future remains uncertain

As one top passer weighs whether to return to school, his connection to a potential NFL fit may be pivotal.

One highly regarded passer is weighing a tough call on entering the NFL and his team connections could matter. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Part of the fallout of the NIL and transfer portal heavy world is that off-season decisions can be intricate. A top QB can weigh whether to head to the NFL or to return to school. For some, the additional question of whether to transfer schools (and possibly seek more money) can also be significant.

For top QBs, the choice is usually simple. The massive NFL payday, starting the clock toward a second, even larger pro check tends to speak to top players. Additionally, the chance to compete at the top level of football can be a big draw. But when the chance to stay in school also lends a seven-figure payday, it can get tougher.

For instance, Oregon QB Dante Moore faces a tough decision. The junior QB has an NIL valuation of $2.3 million from On3sports. Moore is a highly-regarded NFL prospect, likely to go high in the first round of the Draft if he chooses to enter it. He'll draw a healthy NFL salary in all likelihood. But making the move could mean trading out being on a top program at Oregon for playing for a less then desirable NFL destination.

After yesterday's NFL results, the New York Jets will hold the second pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. And for Todd McShay, avoiding being a Jet could be enough to keep Moore in college. The NFL expert discussed a potential plan on The McShay Show to handle Moore's situation.

"Would you not as a representative of Dante Moore kind of reach out to the Raiders [who have the first pick] and say, 'Hey, my client is trying to make a decision.... I can't allow him to go to the New York Jets?' asked McShay. "I can allow my client to go back to Oregon... or you can pretty much promise me he'll be the overall number one pick. Is that so far-fetched?"

McShay explained his thinking further. "Not only single player in this Draft, unless they grew up a New York Jets fan or has some kind of family tie, wants to be a New York Jet," he noted.

Todd McShay says Dante Moore’s agents should call the Raiders to see if he can go No. 1. If not, he advises Moore to return to school rather than risk being drafted by the Jets.

“I promise you no single player in this draft wants to be a New York Jet.” pic.twitter.com/r0V98QuUQd

— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) January 5, 2026

Obviously, McShay thinks Moore could be a viable top overall pick. Many other mock drafts have Fernando Mendoza being targeted by the Jets. But with the Raiders settling into the top pick, Mendoza could instead wind up a Raider, leaving the possibility of Moore falling to the Jets open.

Justin Fields started nine games for the Jets this year, which was his third team in three years. Aaron Rodgers was the Jet QB in 2024, but before that, the long list of Jet QB failures includes Zach Wilson and other QBs who failed as Jets but did better after, including Sam Darnold and Geno Smith. The Jets have not had a winning season since 2015 and have not reached the Playoffs since 2010.

Will fear of the Jets move Moore to return to Oregon? Will his representatives, in some back-channel manner, seek to gauge potential Raider interest? Other than perhaps Alabama QB Ty Simpson, whose NFL intrigue is a bit lower, no player could have a more momentous off-season decision than Moore.