Terrelle Pryor off to rough start with New York Jets

After a bad 2017 campaign with the Redskins, Terrelle Pryor is not off to a great start with the New York Jets.

Ahead of their preseason contest Thursday night, the New York Jets and Washington Redskins finished three days of joint practices on Tuesday. Terrelle Pryor spent last year in Washington and signed with the Jets this offseason, and Washington’s defensive backs went right after him verbally during that final practice session.

Things did not go nearly as planned for Pryor in Washington last year, with 20 catches for 240 yards in just nine games before an ankle issue shut him down for the season. A reported new ankle during the offseason has limited him in training camp, and he did not play in the Jets’ first preseason game.

On Monday, Pryor said he actually suffered a broken ankle back in May, and did not just have a cleanup surgery as previously believed. If it needed clarity, Pryor also said he won’t be playing on Thursday night.

After Tuesday’s practice against the Redskins, Jets’ head coach Todd Bowles was not thrilled with Pryor’s injury declaration.

Secrecy regarding injuries is the name of the game for NFL coaches, especially when official specifics are not required during the preseason. So Bowles calling out Pryor for his honesty is not too surprising, even if it’s rare to see a typically fairly mellow coach openly criticize a player.

A lack of talent at wide receiver opens the door for Pryor to earn a significant role with the Jets. But it’s hard to make that case if he can’t get on the field for preseason games, and that’s probably background fuel for the ire from Bowles on Tuesday.

Practicing against his former team in recent days probably isn’t helping Pryor’s effort to get on the rails with the Jets. So his only sentiment to the DC media, as passed along by Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington, somehow feels appropriate.

Pryor’s one-year deal with the Jets guarantees him just $1 million of his $3 million base salary. So cutting him would come with little consequence, if he doesn’t get healthy and back on the right track soon.