Cleveland Browns

Is Terrelle Pryor changing his tune about re-signing with the Browns?

Published Dec. 29, 2016 8:33 p.m. ET

Andre Vergara

Terrelle Pryor has been the breakout star of the Cleveland Browns' otherwise dismal season. The quarterback-turned-wideout is just 87 yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards, and FOX Sports' Cameron DaSilva says re-signing Pryor should be a priority.

GM Sashi Brown said it was back in November, and Pryor has only padded his stats since then (70 catches, 913 yards, 4 TDs). Meanwhile, Pryor has maintained his loyalty to coach Hue Jackson and Cleveland all season.

"I respect him very highly and if Hue Jackson's here, I'd love to stay here,'' Pryor told cleveland.com in September. "I want to be here if Hue's going to be here for a while, because I know this is a building process — and it's not really. We're right there. We're competing with everybody, we've just got to put teams away and I'd like to be where Hue's at.''

But is Pryor changing his tune? The wideout told reporters Thursday that his agents, Jason and Drew Rosenhaus, have tabled contract talks until after the season, suggesting Pryor will test free agency.

And that's what he suggested, too, acknowledging that Sunday's season finale could be his last game in Cleveland.

"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 told reporters Thursday. "That's the only thing I know about contracts: It's got to make sense. I love to play for Hue and I played my hardest and I'm getting more experience as I go ...

"I love to play for him and I enjoy playing for him this year and I'd love to play for him longer. But at the end of the day, it's got to come down to what my agents think is right for me.''

That could be Pryor laying the groundwork for negotiations with the Browns, or for his exit from Cleveland. At least one former Browns wide receiver and Pryor teammate would be glad to see him go.

But then again, plenty of teams would welcome him.

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