A significant decision for both the college football and the NFL draft worlds emerged on Thursday with Oregon quarterback Dante Moore announcing that he will return to school for the 2026 season.

Oregon QB Dante Moore announces on SportsCenter that he’s returning to school instead of entering the 2026 NFL Draft. #NFL pic.twitter.com/A9tCvzVUHs

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 14, 2026

Moore had been widely viewed as the second-best quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft class behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. And with the New York Jets having the No. 2 overall pick, while needing a quarterback going forward, most mock drafts had Moore going second overall.

However, NFL draft analyst Todd McShay of The Ringer recently said that Moore should go back to school if the quarterback hadn’t been given reason to believe he’d be selected No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders, so that Moore wouldn’t be selected by the Jets. And Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt followed those comments up by explaining that he would advise Moore, “I wouldn’t blink an eye. I would say go back to school.” Klatt’s reasoning was due to Moore only having 20 career starts, while most Super Bowl champion quarterbacks had plenty of collegiate experience. Additionally, as Klatt also touched on, the NIL money Moore and other top college quarterbacks can now make helps the decision to wait on the NFL while they get more prepared for the league.

Former NFL star quarterback Boomer Esiason — who played three seasons with the Jets — appeared on Thursday’s edition of The Dan Patrick Show.

In response to Moore’s decision to return to school, Esiason told Dan Patrick, “I think the Jets lucked out.”

“I think the Jets lucked out. I think Dante Moore is making a $50 million bet that, would be hard for me to do that… I think he made the right decision.”

– @7BOOMERESIASON on Dante Moore returning to Oregon, and what’s next for the #Jets. pic.twitter.com/2DTzUdyg4E

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) January 15, 2026

“What do you with that second pick in the draft now that Dante Moore is going to Oregon?” Patrick asked Esiason.

“I think the Jets lucked out,” Esiason, a WFAN radio host, said. “And I think Dante Moore is making a $50 million bet that would be hard for me to do that, but I had advised him on our show here in New York, ‘Please stay in school. You need more playing time.’ And I think he made the right decision. And I’m sure he’s going to get a nice paycheck from Oregon. But he’s making a $50 million bet on himself, which is really quite amazing.”

“So, for the Jets, the second pick could be anywhere from one of these top defensive players from Ohio State (linebacker Arvell Reese or safety Caleb Downs), maybe an edge rusher,” Esiason continued. “It also could be another wide receiver to go along with Garrett Wilson. Or trade out of it and even add more assets, which would probably be the smart thing to do because the draft is lottery picks, and you want more shots on goal than you can possibly get.”

“Remember, next year’s quarterback class could include Arch Manning, and it will include Dante Moore and a few other guys, so maybe they will be in a better situation to draft one of those guys next year, meaning that I don’t think you want to go out there and try to win six or seven games,” Esiason added. “Realistically, you look at it, if you want one of those young quarterbacks that is going to change your franchise like Jaxson Dart is doing here for the Giants, you’re going to have another bad year next year to be at the top of that draft to be able to select that guy.”

“Yeah, but Boomer, they’re trying to win six or seven games, and they can’t do it,” Patrick quipped.

There are multiple ways to look at this, on the idea that the “Jets lucked out” with Moore returning to school.

Very little else matters until you find a quarterback in the NFL, and you can’t be certain to get the opportunity to land a talent like Moore going forward. And there have been talented quarterbacks who at least eventually overcame bleak situations. After all, the organizations picking near the top of the draft tend to be in rough shape, hence their draft position.

However, the Jets really do need so much help, and Moore is still raw and could really use more experience. It’s hard to imagine this version of Moore and this version of the Jets leading to franchise-changing things together.

To Esiason’s point, maybe the Jets can trade back and add more draft capital and as much young talent as they can. And next year, perhaps the Jets will be more prepared to be able to support and develop a rookie quarterback. It’s very possible that Moore is more prepared for that situation himself after one more year at Oregon.