Dante Moore Rejects $55 Million NFL Deal to Chase Oregon's 2026 Title

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Jul 30

$55 million was the projected NFL payday Moore said no to, choosing at Big Ten Media Days to return for one final Oregon season after the Ducks' playoff semifinal collapse against Indiana.
3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and a 72% completion rate made Moore a projected top-two draft pick, but he said he wanted another shot rather than let a pick-six and two fumbles define his Oregon ending.
17 pounds of added muscle and playbook tweaks under new coordinator Drew Mehringer headline his offseason, with Moore going from 203 to 220 pounds as Oregon brings back 14 starters and 66% of last year's production.
In March, Moore also went public about depression tied to college-football pressure and his mother's breast cancer, pushing for more virtual mental-health services and helping spur player-led weekly meetings at Oregon.
2027 now looms as Moore's NFL target, with the quarterback viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick while trying to deliver Oregon its first national championship.