The Vikings are still unbeaten at 6-0, but the bigger question hanging over the franchise is the one under center. There is no quarterback signed beyond this season, and that keeps the search for 2027 very much alive. One name to keep in the mix: Dante Moore.
Moore’s 2026 season came to a halt on Monday after Oregon head coach Dan Lanning announced he would not return following a concussion Moore suffered in a Sept. 26 win over the USC Trojans. A year ago, Moore would have looked like a top-five selection. Instead, ESPN’s Mel Kiper now has him at No. 25 on his 2027 draft board, with a path that points toward the middle to late first round.
That kind of slide would sting for Moore, but it may line up with Minnesota’s needs. Vikings fans have every reason to be wary of investing in another young quarterback after the J.J. McCarthy experience, yet the roster setup makes the Oregon passer worth watching as the draft picture comes into focus.
Moore entered the season with plenty of momentum. He had led Oregon to a 13-2 record the year before, piling up 3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 71.8 percent of his throws. Rather than enter the 2026 draft, where he was expected to go behind Fernando Mendoza, he went back to school for another year.
The return trip has not gone the way he planned. In his first four games, Moore completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 926 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions. Oregon still managed a 3-1 start, but the path was far from smooth, with the Ducks barely avoiding a scare against Boise State at home, then losing to Oklahoma State and later hammering Portland State 84-0.
His season ended after a hit from linebacker Desman Stephens II knocked him out against USC and sent him to a stretcher. Then, with Oregon’s College Football Playoff hopes essentially gone after a 21-10 loss to Illinois last week, there was little reason to expect a comeback. Lanning did not spell it out, but the assumption now is that Moore will prepare for next spring’s draft.
The appeal for Minnesota starts with the arm talent and the processing. Todd McShay of The Ringer praised Moore’s game in a scouting report, pointing to traits that fit what Kevin O’Connell likes to do.
“While he doesn’t possess the elite arm talent of Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, or Justin Herbert, Moore generates more than enough velocity to attack every area of the field,” McShay wrote. “He drives deep outs with confidence and effortlessly pushes the ball vertically.
His anticipation, timing, and placement more than compensate for his lack of truly elite arm strength. He’s also highly effective throwing on the move, particularly when rolling to his right.”
There is also the character piece. Moore began his college career at UCLA before transferring to Oregon and sitting behind Dillon Gabriel for a year. Chip Kelly, his former coach, had high praise for the quarterback after a 2023 loss to Utah.
“One of the things with Dante is that he’s a really mature kid,” Kelly said via Raymond Lucas of 247 Sports. “When you talk to him on the sidelines, he had good answers and knew what we were doing.”
McShay did note that Moore still needed to improve against interior pressure, but the injury prevented him from getting that chance this season. That unfinished evaluation could actually work in Minnesota’s favor, turning Moore into a potential buy-low target if the Vikings decide to reset the room again.
Right now, the quarterback depth chart does not offer much certainty beyond this season. Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer are on the roster, but none of them is under contract after 2026. Murray could earn another deal if he finishes the year strongly, though The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported Tuesday that he “still appears to be acclimating to the team’s progression-based passing game.”
If Murray does not settle in, Wentz and Brosmer do not look like 2027 starters. And with McCarthy now with the Giants, general manager Nolan Teasley and O’Connell would have room to reshape the position however they want.
That could also reopen old scars. Before drafting McCarthy 10th overall, Minnesota signed Sam Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal to start while the rookie learned the offense.
That plan fell apart quickly after Darnold tore a meniscus in his first preseason game. The Vikings also failed to bring back Darnold and Daniel Jones, and they passed on Aaron Rodgers’ overtures during the 2025 offseason.
If any of those paths had worked out, McCarthy may have spent more time developing behind the scenes. Instead, injuries and a lack of maturity helped derail what had looked like a Super Bowl contender, and Murray eventually beat McCarthy in a training-camp competition before landing in New York.
This time, the Vikings have more flexibility. If Murray improves, they could keep him on a short-term deal, though he might prefer a longer commitment elsewhere. Mac Jones is another possibility; Minnesota reportedly wanted to trade for him last season, and he could become available next offseason when his contract with the San Francisco 49ers expires.
That would not exactly electrify the fan base, but it would make more sense if the Vikings, likely drafting late in the first round, moved up for Moore and gave him time to grow behind Jones.
For a team trying to win now while still hunting for a real long-term answer, that might be the cleanest path. And if Moore’s 2026 season is the setback that pushes him down the board, Minnesota may be the team ready to take advantage.
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