Jan. 14, 2026, 4:49 p.m. ET
The New York Jets won’t get an opportunity to draft Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, at least not this year.
Moore announced on Wednesday that he was staying in school for another season, forgoing the 2026 NFL Draft.
That decision will particularly impact New York, who holds the second overall selection in this year’s draft and needs a quarterback in the worst way. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza will presumably be gone by then.
What will New York do at quarterback for 2026 now with Moore out of the picture? The team does have options. They might not be as exciting as Moore, but options do remain for the Jets to find a signal caller.
Another quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft
If the Jets want Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, they’ll most likely get the chance to take him with the second overall pick. Simpson dinged his draft stock as the season wore on with the Crimson Tide, but he does have franchise quarterback characteristics that a good coaching staff could develop. As far as non-Mendoza NFL quarterbacks go, Simpson is the most enticing at the moment. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier figures to go somewhere in the second round, and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss could declare if he’s not able to stay in Oxford for 2026. All of those guys would benefit greatly from sitting for a year, so the odds of New York starting a rookie at quarterback this fall feel incredibly low. Finding a veteran to man the job for 2026 is probably the best bet.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.Kyler Murray
If the Jets want an incredibly talented reclamation project, Murray stands out. New York could trade for the former first-overall NFL Draft selection and see if he can reignite his career with the Jets. The Arizona Cardinals might keep him around to see if a new coaching staff could maximize his potential, and his huge contract might not be appealing for New York. However, the fit makes sense for both sides at this juncture if Arizona is ready to move on.
Mac Jones
Jones could be the next former first-round quarterback to rehabilitate his career in the Shanahan system and succeed elsewhere. Could that next stop be New York? It wouldn’t at all be shocking to see the Jets throw a mid-round pick San Francisco’s way and see if Jones can pilot the team to better days. Jones looked the part with the 49ers this season while he stepped in for an injured Brock Purdy. Could his career revival come with the Jets?
Kirk Cousins
Cousins looked more like himself in 2025 when he took over for an injured Michael Penix Jr. with the Falcons halfway through the season. Atlanta seems poised to cut Cousins in the offseason, sending him into free agency. The Jets could see if Cousins could spark some of his old magic, even if he’s a bit of a rigid statue in the pocket now. As far as free agent quarterbacks go in 2026, Cousins could be one of the most intriguing options available for New York.
Russell Wilson
Wilson’s career decline has been tough to see from his Seattle Seahawks heyday, but he can still provide decent starting reps and hit his patented moonshots. If the Jets just need an adult in the room to guide them, particularly if the draft a young guy who needs to sit, Wilson would be more than satisfactory for a bridge year with New York.