‘A big week’ ahead for Seahawks quarterback Terrelle Pryor
Aug 25, 2014, 10:44 PM | Updated: Aug 26, 2014, 7:24 am
Terrelle Pryor might need a strong showing in Seattle's preseason finale to secure a roster spot. (AP)
(AP)
For quarterback Terrelle Pryor, it’s pretty hard to understate the importance of the Seahawks’ preseason finale. His future in Seattle could come down to how he plays Thursday night against Oakland.
“He’s battling. This is a big week for him,” coach Pete Carroll told 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Brock and Salk” Monday. “He’s had a couple outings where he didn’t get to do much. He had a good outing against Denver where he got to do a lot of stuff. We got to see him. But we haven’t seen him play enough, so this week he’ll get more play time and have a chance.”
Pryor has been competing to be Seattle’s No. 2 quarterback, and no objective analysis would give him the nod over Tarvaris Jackson based on how the two have played during the preseason. Pryor has had his moments, like his 44-yard touchdown run against San Diego or when he put Seattle in position to beat Denver on Seattle’s final possession. But he’s also made some notable mistakes, like the interception that ended that drive against the Broncos and the inexplicable pick he threw Friday.
Pryor played in two series against Chicago, misfiring on his only two pass attempts. Through three preseason games he is 10 of 22 for 147 yards with no touchdown passes, two interceptions and a rushing score. Jackson, meanwhile, is 10 of 17 for 112 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
At this point, Pryor might not be playing for the backup job so much as he’s playing for a job of any kind with the Seahawks, who have kept two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster more often than they’ve kept three. That makes Thursday’s game perhaps Pryor’s last chance to show he’s worth keeping.
And to add some more drama to the situation, Pryor will be facing the team that drafted him in 2011 and then dealt him to Seattle over the offseason.
A big week, indeed.
“He’s a very talented kid and he’s worked really hard to be positioned at this moment, and now he’s got to go ahead and come through and do some big things,” Carroll said. “We’ll look forward to him making some plays and we’ll give him some chances, for sure.”
