Does Terrelle Pryor still play in the NFL? Career of the former Ohio State Buckeyes prospect explored

Terrelle Pryor was one of the most intriguing college prospects to make the NFL in the last decade, as he was a multi-positional and multi-sport prospect. Pryor was a major draft prospect in 2011, which is no mean feat. The Ohio State Buckeyes standout once had the world at his feet, with the league's best teams paying rapt attention.

However, it's now 2022 and the thirty-three-year-old is out of the NFL. Pryor has not been part of an active roster since 2018. So what went wrong? How did such a fascinating prospect exit the league before 30 and is there any hope for him to make a comeback in the NFL?

What went wrong for Terrelle Pryor?

A host of factors led to Pryor leaving the league. Here are a few:

#1. Jack of all trades, master of none

Terrelle Pryor could play any sport during high school and for the better part of college. His 6 ft 4 in height and 228 lb frame made him a threat at almost every position on the Gridiron.

However, Pryor's mistake was that in being so maluable, he did not specialize in an individual position heading into the NFL. Pryor played as a quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back. Though he was solid at all of these, he wasn't the best prospect in any position.

#2. Off-field issues

Trouble never ventured too far from Terrelle Pryor, as was the case since high school. This followed him into college and eventually the NFL. The NFL has a low tolerance for off-the-field drama, especially when it brings the league into disrepute.

Pryor seemed to attract headlines, from incidents such as 'Tattoogate' (Pryor received discounted tattoos and memorabilia from a tattoo parlor) to him being stabbed in the neck and chest by his partner in 2019. There was an incident where he was arrested after allegedly slapping his ex-girlfriend and throwing pumpkins at her car. These incidents hurt Pryor's reputation and will always be leivied against him.

#3. Injuries

The NFL is a contact sport, and wide receivers are some of the most injury-plagued players in the league. Hence, staying injury-free as a wide receiver is no easy task, and Pryor was not fortunate in this regard.

Terrelle Pryor is a big guy and was used to bring the ball down in contested situations. Hence, he was hit several times. These hits led to numerous injuries, leaving him out of the league before his thirtieth birthday.

Terrelle Pryor's career stats

Terrrelle Pryor played for multiple teams in his NFL career. He was drafted in the third round by the Oakland Raiders (now Las Vegas) and played three campaigns with them between 2011-2013. In the 2015 season, he signed for the Cleveland Browns. He signed for Washington in the 2017 campaign before splitting the 2018 season between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets.

As aforementioned, Pryor played in multiple positions during his NFL career. As a quarterback, Pryor completed 175 out of 311 attempted passes for 1,994 yards, nine touchdowns, and 12 picks. He was sacked 32 times. This stat sheet gave him a career 69.3 passer rating.

As a wide receiver (a position that he converted to full-time in 2015, though he continued to take the occasional QB snap), he totaled 115 receptions for 1,563 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. His most productive season as a WR was with the Cleveland Browns in 2015, where he received over 1,000 yards, the first and last time he'd attain such a feat on the Gridiron.

With him being close to his mid-thirties and not having played a single snap in four years, it seems Terelle Pryor might be finished in the NFL.