Oregon QB Dante Moore faces tough decision on injury status, says NBC Sports analyst

Could Dante Moore fake an injury to save his NFL Draft stock? The topic seems unfathomable, but NBC Sports analyst Joshua Perry threw out the idea while appearing on the Zack Gelb Show this week.

The No. 2 Oregon Ducks lost to Oklahoma State last weekend, which led to speculation about Moore's future. This comes after Dan Lanning's team struggled against Boise State to open the 2026 season.

This preseason, a majority of analysts expected Moore to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation, and the Ducks to once again be in the College Football Playoff. However, none of that is currently projected to happen in Eugene. There was even speculation that Oklahoma State figured out what Moore's formation by his feet structure.

If things continue to go poorly for Oregon, @mrjoshuaperry wonders if Dante Moore will fake an injury to protect his draft stock. pic.twitter.com/tW7Jr8TT2S

Perry was extremely candid about Moore's future at Oregon. He thinks if things continue going poorly for the Ducks, there could be an injury coming soon.

This is all wild to think about. For Moore, who was projected as a first-rounder in last year's NFL Draft, the decision could save not only guaranteed money but his future business interests. He has thrown for 569 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions. Moore has also been sacked five times on 66 pass attempts.

"One of the things I will say is he’s still spinning it," Perry said. "Dudes are out there dropping the ball. They’re not protecting very well. He is still spinning the rock. And I just, you might get to a point where you’re like, I’m not gonna be a part of the mess anymore.”

Moore returned to Oregon for another shot at trying to win a national championship. As it stands now, the Ducks aren't in good shape for a Playoff run after the loss to OSU. They could rally in Big Ten play, but will likely get shuffled back for an at-large bid.

If protecting his NFL stock is really the priority, Moore would benefit by not returning for the rest of the season. Welcome to the part of the new era nobody likes.

"If I were his people, I would totally spin it,” Perry said. “I would do the PR. He didn’t quit on the team. The team quit on him before, and he didn’t want to be a part of that anymore. It’s a business he’s protecting, his investment to himself. You could hold it against him — it’s not the most quarterback thing to do… If I had $50 million riding on what was going on, and I felt like the best strategy was to just pull the ripcord and not be a part of an offense that wasn’t gonna let me thrive the way that I need to, it’s business at that point.”

Oregon hosts Portland State to wrap-up non-conference play on Saturday. This comes before the Big Ten opener at No. 12 USC.  

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