Cleveland Browns: Terrelle Pryor Gets to 1,000 Yards Receiving

Not long ago, former quarterback Terrelle Pryor transitioning to wide receiver was a novelty. In Year 1 as a starter, he topped the coveted 1,000-yard mark.

While is might not seem right to credit Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson for a whole lot during this year’s 1-15 campaign, he does deserve credit for seeing the potential in former quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Yes, Pryor began the transition from quarterback to receiver two years ago, and the Browns did give him a brief audition in 2015. However, Jackson—who coached Pryor with the Oakland Raiders and briefly with the Cincinnati Bengals—gave Pryor the opportunity to grow as a starter.

Now 16 games later, it seems that Pryor’s transformation is complete.

The former Buckeye standout caught seven passes for 94 yards in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This gives him 1,007 yards for the season.

Pryor has served as Cleveland’s de facto No. 1 receiver this season, but on most teams he’s probably a high-end No. 2. For a guy that was struggling to find work as a third-string quarterback two years ago, that’s still pretty impressive.

More from NFL Spin Zone

• Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
• Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
• Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
• Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
• Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens

The question now surrounds whether or not the Browns can manage to re-sign Pryor in the offseason. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent and recently hinted that contract dollars will play a part in his decision-making process.

“Like I said before, I have the utmost respect for Hue, but at the end of the day, it’s got to make sense for both sides,” Pryor said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “That’s the only thing I know about contracts, it’s got to make sense.”

“I love to play for him and I enjoy playing for him this year and I’d love to play for him longer,” Pryor added, per Cabot. “But at the end of the day, it’s got to come down to what my agents think is right for me.”

If Cleveland can manage to retain Pryor, then Jackson and the rest of the Browns decision-makers have found themselves a potential building block for the future.

Next: Browns Clinch No. 1 Pick With Week 17 Loss

However, if the Browns allow him to hit the open market, Pryor may become the latest in a line of players to develop in Cleveland and then move on to greener pastures. Considering the time invested in him and that coming to fruition this season, that would certainly be a shame.