Dante Moore staying at Oregon rumor is terrible look for New York Jets

Contributor

Thanks to their history, the New York Jets remain one of the worst places a young quarterback can land.

Not only have we seen the Jets strike out with countless draft picks and veterans at the position, but some of those players have gone on to other teams and had success, like Sam Darnold and Geno Smith, for example.

Even Aaron Rodgers couldn't overcome whatever curse the Jets have on them, and he also went on to leave and have more success after making the playoffs with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025.

So, it was fair to wonder if Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who was slated to go to the Jets with the No. 2 overall pick had both he and Fernando Mendoza declared, would stay in college to avoid going to New York.

As it turns out, that might have played at least some part in Moore's decision to stay at Oregon, according to On SI's Hondo Carpenter.

“I’ve alluded to this. I think there were a lot of things that went into his consideration. I don’t think he would have minded being a Raider,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.

“I want to pick my words here. I think he knew it was a Mendoza pick for the Raiders or someone’s going to have to way overpay with a trade," Carpenter added. "I fundamentally believe this talking to people close to the situation that the thought of being a Jet... Was a great concern. I think there were other things. I don’t think it was just Jets, but I think that was greatly concerning [to him]."

Moore would never admit that is the case publicly, but nobody would blame him if going to the Jets was at least somewhat part of the equation.

As we've seen time and time again, talent isn't everything when it comes to being a successful quarterback. Where a player lands is important, also, and the Jets have rarely proven to be a good spot a quarterback, young or old.

There are likely other factors in Moore's decision, like returning to a team that can compete for a national title in 2026 and NIL money that makes such an expensive decision a bit easier to make.

Then there's the development factor. As we saw in the Peach Bowl against Indiana, Moore could use a bit more work before making the leap to the NFL.

There is also risk involved here, though. Moore's stock may never be higher, and he will be in what figures to be a more crowded quarterback class in the 2027 NFL draft.

Maybe Moore ends up failing in the NFL and the Jets just avoided their next bust at the quarterback position. But knowing how things go with Gang Green, the exact opposite will happen.

Dante Moore staying at Oregon rumor is terrible look for New York Jets

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