Not Matt Flynn, and not Tyler Wilson. At the moment, the Oakland Raiders, maybe the most dysfunctional of NFL franchises, is planning on declaring Terrelle Pryor to be their starting quarterback when the season begins, getting more chances than many thought he would during the preseason.
The game that has really changed the minds Dennis Allen and other shot callers. Matt Flynn did poorly in the loss to the Chicago Bears, finishing the game with 2 interceptions out of his six attempted passes. Pryor, who hasn’t been lighting it up in the preseason (including a 1-of-5 for 9 yards performance against the Saints) played very well against the Bears, finishing with 7-of-9 for 93 yards and a touchdown.
There’s no official call yet, but Pryor will start in the fourth preseason game for the Raiders, facing the Seattle Seahawks. If he does well in the chance he gets there, the starting job is his for now.
It will mark the second consecutive season in which Matt Flynn goes into training camp with the number one quarterback job aimed to be his and winding up as a backup. Last time, the Seattle Seahawks preferred rookie Russell Wilson to himself. This time, it’s going to be Pryor, who has been with the team for two seasons, but only getting one chance to start so far, not doing too well in a performance that ended in a loss for him while completing less than 50% of his passing.
The logic behind all of this? While Flynn might be the better quarterback at this point, it’s not by much, and the Raiders don’t see much of an upside to the former LSU quarterback. Pryor is still on his way up, but if the team is in a rebuilding process, it’s more logical to go with the guy who has more of an upside.