Washington wide receiver Terrelle Pryor has had a miserable season, and it is just getting worse. NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport tweeted that Pryor is having surgery on an ankle injury that has been bothering him for a few weeks. He was inactive in Week 11, and the scope will provide a better idea on when he might return to action.
Pryor has had a rough year after signing a one-year contract with Washington. He had a huge season last year for Cleveland, catching 77 passes for 1,007 yards, but he was unable to secure the kind of long-term contract he was hoping for. He was held without even a target in two of his last three games before being inactive in Week 11. He could never really get on the same page as Kirk Cousins, and he could end up with quite the pay cut in 2018 after settling for a $6 million deal this year.
When free agency was about to get going back in March, Cleveland Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot reported the San Francisco 49ers were among a handful of teams expected to express interest in Pryor. There was a brief rumor on Twitter that he was spotted in San Jose, but nothing developed from that. He eventually landed with Washington, while the 49ers signed Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin on the first day of free agency.
It’s certainly one of many “what ifs” given all the money the 49ers had at their disposal, coupled with their huge need at wide receiver. The 49ers will head into this offseason with some options at wide receiver, but clearly looking to build more significant long-term depth. Pierre Garçon is a very good veteran receiver, and Marquise Goodwin has proven himself an intriguing deep threat. After that, Trent Taylor was among the rookie leaders in receptions and receiving yards, and Kendrick Bourne has started to show some things. I don’t anticipate a run at Pryor this offseason, but I do expect the 49ers to make some moves.