Dante Moore is not expected to play again this season. Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Monday that he isn’t anticipating the star quarterback returning from his concussion this year, capping a rough stretch for the Ducks.

Social media reacted fast after ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the news, and plenty of people zeroed in on that decision.

Dante Moore’s NFL Draft Decision Comes Under Scrutiny After Injury News

Moore hasn’t played since Sept. 26, when USC linebacker Desman Stephens II hit him late and in the head. Lanning said the team got clarity last week. He stressed that Moore will make a full recovery, but the timeline isn’t up to the player or the coach.

Before the injury, Moore was enjoying a strong season. He completed 69.7% of his passes for 926 yards and nine touchdowns, with zero interceptions. Since then, the offense has sputtered while bouncing between backups Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas. He ranks 26th in PFN’s College Quarterback Impact Rankings for the 2026 season.

Oregon fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer on Sunday. The Ducks sit at 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play, with No. 20 Northwestern up next Saturday.

In January, Moore skipped the 2026 NFL Draft despite being projected as high as the No. 2 pick, passing up the chance at a rookie contract potentially worth about$55 million. He wanted one more run at a national title.

NFL analyst Will Parkinson wrote, “Brutal year for Moore… that’s why you declare when you’re a projected top 2 pick.” Another user pointed to what Moore walked away from. “Was always a horrible decision to come back. When you have top 3 money on the table, you never pass that up,” they posted.

The Jet Press focused on the draft stock. “Damn bro that’s awful. Would’ve been the No. 2 pick had he come out this past year,” the account wrote. “Really unfortunate that he got hurt, especially in the way he did.” It added, “Hope he’s able to return to full health (most important thing obviously), but man his draft stock plummeted.”

ESPN’s Field Yates took a more measured tone. “Dante Moore entered the season with hopes of being a top 5 pick,” he wrote. “The evaluation is much more complicated after a season that did not go as expected.”

RedditCFB posted, “Brutal. Hope he heals well and wish him the best wherever he plays next.” That last line pointed toward the obvious next question, and Hail Mary Sports jumped right on it: “Oh my lord… does Dante transfer?? Miami has a type… and he fits it.”

Lanning shut down that kind of talk. He said he hasn’t discussed the future with Moore and called speculation unfair. “He’ll have a decision at the end of the season,” Lanning said, according to CBS Sports. Moore could also return to Oregon in 2027; the Ducks list him as a redshirt junior this season, leaving another potential year of eligibility.