Why the NFL is weighing heavier into Cam Ward's transfer decision

On Tuesday’s episode of the Andy Staples On3 Podcast, the college football expert brought in none other than NIL and transfer portal guru Pete Nakos to make sense of some of the top storylines going on within the sport. Nakos took the opportunity to address the commitment window of the transfer portal’s top quarterback, Cam Ward.

The former Washington State quarterback has been in the portal for nearly a month and has yet to make a decision. So what is going on with Ward, and how close is he to choosing where he will play in 2024?

“In terms of the Cam Ward update, because I know everyone wants one; we’re kind of in a holding pattern right now,” said Nakos. “I keep hearing Florida State, Miami, or the NFL. I guess I’ll just say this: he entered on December 1st. It’s December 26th. I think the NFL is starting to weigh into this more than people initially thought. If it was only a college football decision, I truly believe there may have been a decision that we’d seen earlier.”

As Nakos highlighted in a previous appearance, it is a three-man race between the ACC’s Florida State Seminoles, Miami Hurricanes, and the NFL. And according to the transfer portal expert, the NFL might be too good to pass up, given the amount of money Ward stands to make.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of teams that need a quarterback. Not every team only takes a quarterback in the first round. And there’s something to be said to Andy, like in this day and age of NIL and stuff, it’s so awesome that athletes can now profit off their name, image, and likeness, obviously, but the NFL money is still not at the same level as the college money, right? I mean, at the end of the day, signing an NFL contract is a life changer. Endorsement deals and NIL collective deals can do a lot, but I don’t think it will ever be able to beat the NFL.”

Depending on the outlet, Ward is considered to be a late first-round pick or a day-two pick. Some do have the former Cougar being selected in the fourth round or later, but that is more of the exception than the rule.

With a third-round or better grade, Ward does stand a chance of making a decent amount of change should he declare for the draft. However, that price tag could jump up significantly if he returns to the college ranks and puts together an impressive season with either ACC power. But at this point, it is anyone’s guess as to what Ward will do, according to Nakos.