The back-and-forth regarding the question of whether Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor will appeal his five-game suspension continues.
In the past four days, the Pryor camp has gone from not wanting to appeal the ban to wanting to appeal it to not wanting to appeal it to now possibly being willing to appeal it.
Pryor told ESPN’s Mike Tirico during Monday Night Football that Pryor will defer to Raiders owner Al Davis on the question of whether an appeal should be filed.
It’s a smart move -- and it would be even smarter for the Raiders to encourage Pryor to appeal. The ruling sets a potentially horrible precedent, and it arises not from the CBA or any policies applicable directly to players but from a vague provision of the NFL Constitution and By-Laws.
And while Pryor said that “it means the world to” him to play quarterback, he’s willing to do whatever he’s told. “If the team needs me to go out and catch a pass,” Pryor said, “I’m going to go out and catch a pass.”
Pryor added that “as of right now” he’ll be playing quarterback.
Either way, Pryor’s size and speed gives coach Hue Jackson a unique weapon to deploy as of Week Six, if not sooner.