Two QBs Emerge For Jets After Dante Moore Picks Oregon

The New York Jets may not know who will be the team's starting quarterback in 2026, but they do know at least one option who will not be.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, the projected No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 National Football League Draft class, announced on Wednesday that he will be returning to school, rather than entering the draft. If Moore had declared for the draft the expectation was that he would have been in consideration for the No. 2 pick in the draft, if not higher as well.

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With Moore off the table, it raises multiple questions for the Jets. Who are the options for the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft? Will the Jets draft a quarterback in the first round? If so, who could now be an option with Fernando Mendoza expected to go No. 1 overall? And the list goes on and on. Most questions won't be answered in the short term. The offseason hasn't fully begun for each team yet. There's a long way to go. But in the aftermath of Moore going back to college, ESPN's Rich Cimini shared on X that the "focus shifts" now to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss as early options.

The Jets will have a handful of options at their disposal

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass during the fourth quarter the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

"Dante Moore’s decision is a blow to the Jets," Cimini wrote on X. "Even if they had no plans to pick him, his presence in the draft would’ve increased the value of the No. 2 overall pick (assuming Fernando Mendoza goes No. 1). So now the focus shifts to Ty Simpson and Trinidad Chambliss and whether they’re factors with the 16th or 33rd pick."

This doesn't mean that either will be selected with the No. 2 pick in the first round. If there were questions about taking Moore at No. 2 -- which there were -- neither Simpson nor Chambliss should be in consideration for No. 2 in the slightest. This changes at No. 16 and No. 33, though.

Simpson played in 15 games in 2025 and had 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, five interceptions, and two rushing scores. Chambliss had 3,937 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, three interceptions, 527 rushing yards, and eight rushing scores.

Arguably, the Jets should use the No. 2 pick to select the best player available. That will be a topic debated for months. If the draft were tomorrow, arguably that guy should be Arvell Reese of Ohio State, who has been compared to Micah Parsons. The New Orleans Saints, who the Jets faced in 2025, picked Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He sat out the first eight games and started the final nine as the team determined whether they needed to draft a new guy. That should be the approach in New York -- while obviously trying to win as many games as possible.

Take either Simpson or Chambliss at No. 16 or preferably No. 33. Bring in a veteran, like Joe Flacco, to kick off the season as the starter, then turn the keys over at some point. If the Jets miss with Simpson or Chambliss but still land a high-end prospect, like Reese, that would be okay because New York has three first-round picks in the 2027 draft that is expected to be much better quarterback-wise. At the end of the day, this could be a very good thing because you're not locked into a quarterback at No. 2.

More NFL: Jets Fallout After Dante Moore Picks Oregon: Draft Options, Next QB Picks