Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Oakland Raiders are eagerly awaiting the return of quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who missed Week 4 while working his way back from a concussion. If Pryor isn’t ready when Sunday rolls around, though, could the silver and black opt to start undrafted rookie Matt McGloin instead of Matt Flynn?
Flynn is coming off a horrid Week 4 performance against the Washington Redskins. While he completed 65 percent of his passes for 227 yards, one touchdown and one interception, he was painful ineffective. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished the game with a -4.0 rating while leading the Raiders to a pitiful 24-14 loss.
Seeing as the Raiders likely won’t want to go that route again, there’s a possibility that they could go with McGloin as their starter if Pryor can’t receive clearance.
Undrafted out of Penn State, McGloin was a big surprise for the Raiders during training camp. He quickly turned the heads of the Oakland coaching staff and eventually beat out 2013 fourth-round pick Tyler Wilson for the third-string quarterback spot. Although he struggled a bit during the preseason, McGloin flashed an NFL-caliber arm and is also known for his outstanding leadership.
Leading up to the regular season, there were even reports that some within the Oakland organization believed McGloin was their best bet at quarterback. Pryor has turned out to be a pleasant surprise early on, but might not be ready to go if his concussion symptoms continue to linger.
The Raiders clearly aren’t happy with what they saw from Flynn, evidenced by head coach Dennis Allen’s comments following the disappointing loss. Allen couldn’t even promise that Flynn would maintain his positioning ahead of McGloin on the depth chart.
It certainly wouldn’t be an ideal situation, but if they don’t get Pryor back, the Raiders should seriously consider starting McGloin. He’s an exciting young talent who deserves an opportunity to start, especially if Flynn is the only other option.
For now, it’s a waiting game. McGloin better keep his arm loose just in case, though.
Gil Alcaraz IV is the Content Planner for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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