Dante Moore will return to Oregon, thins options for Cardinals in NFL Draft
The Arizona Cardinals will not have Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as an option. He will sit out the 2026 NFL Draft and return to the Ducks.
Dante Moore #5 of the Oregon Ducks passes against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore announced Wednesday on ESPN that he will return for his third season with the Oregon Ducks and not enter the 2026 NFL Draft.
Moore was listed as the No. 2 overall prospect and No. 2 quarterback prospect behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza on Mel Kiper’s ESPN big board before his decision.
Mendoza has not announced whether he will depart for the NFL as his college season continues into the national title game. Moore’s decision makes Alabama product Ty Simpson widely regarded as the second-best quarterback in the draft.
For the Arizona Cardinals, who hold the No. 3 pick and potentially will move on from starting quarterback Kyler Murray, Moore’s return to Oregon further thins out the options.
After transferring from UCLA and sitting behind Dillon Gabriel in 2024, Moore threw for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during the 2025 season.
He led the Ducks to two consecutive victories in the College Football Playoff before committing three turnovers in a 56-22 loss to Indiana in the Peach Bowl.
On Monday morning, Oregon received a transfer portal commitment from Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is now expected to sit behind Moore heading into the 2026 season.
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Comments
41 Comments
Dont care what anyone says, Cards need to go out and trade for a solid veteran QB. Give up the house for Burrow. This is the only time this team has been good with a legit QB. Warner, Palmer
Card fans like to have their cake and eat it too (who doesn't, weird phrase). They like to say Kyler is trash and not even an NFL QB. They also like to say the cards org is trash, coaching is trash, roster construction is trash. Then when Kyler takes that trash org, and basically drags them from 2-19 to around .500 when he plays...they want to pretend its Kylers fault they weren't in the playoff. Nonsensical.
The hypocrisy is insane.
Junior, for all of his faults, is a businessman at heart. That turd burger they rolled out for 12 games was bad for business.