Terrelle Pryor says he preferred one-year deal

Terrelle Pryor was said to be seeking an average annual salary of $10 million early in free agency, so it came as somewhat of a shock when he signed a one-year, $8 million deal with Washington. The former Ohio State star insists he wanted it that way.

In an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” Wednesday, Pryor said he could have signed a four-year contract with the Cleveland Browns but instead chose a “prove-it deal’ with Washington.

“It’s something that we asked for, myself and my agents, for a one-year deal,” Pryor said, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “It’s kind of like a ‘prove it’ deal almost to a certain extent. I think a lot of people are thinking that this is a one-trick pony, like a one-time thing. You know, just out of nowhere I could catch 79 balls or whatever and go over 1,000 yards. I got a lot to prove and I really can’t wait. I look forward to it.”

Chances are, the Browns were offering something that would have worked out to less than $8 million per year or was light on guaranteed money. Pryor probably figures he has a better chance of landing a big-money contract next offseason if he can have a productive year with Kirk Cousins, so he chose to sign with Washington. Since Washington has already lost DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon in free agency, Pryor has a great chance to emerge as one of Cousins’ favorite targets.

With the salary cap projected to go up even more next season, Pryor may have made a wise choice. The Browns don’t even know who their starting quarterback will be, so they have very little to offer. If Pryor wanted to stay in Cleveland, he probably could have signed a contract almost identical to the one Kenny Britt signed.