Source: Raiders QB job still up for grabs
Reports that quarterback Matt McGloin will become the Oakland Raiders' permanent starter if he plays well Sunday against the Houston Texans are "overstated," according to a source in the team's administration.
However, the same source noted that there is always competition for every starting position, which could indicate that Terrelle Pryor does not have a lock on the starting job when he recovers from his knee injury, and the job is up for grabs.
McGloin, a rookie free agent out of Penn State, got the call to start against Houston because Pryor is unable to play due to his injured knee that did not hold up well when he tried to practice this week.
Reports from the San Francisco Chronicle, ESPN and NFL Network's Michael Silver suggest that if McGloin does well against the Texans he may become the starter of the future.
"Anything's possible, but to make it sound like this one game will determine who is the starter going forward is simplistic and overstated," the source told The Sports Xchange. "Terrelle has been playing injured, probably more injured than we knew. Of course we would like to see how Matt plays, but it certainly isn't a one-game-takes-all tryout for the starting job."
Although Pryor began the season with a flourish, especially as a runner, his recent performances -- admittedly impacted by the knee injury -- caused the Raiders to re-evaluate whether he is indeed the team's quarterback of the future.
Pryor has completed only 58.9 percent of his passes with five touchdowns against 10 interceptions and a passer rating of only 69.
McGloin, at 6-foot-1, 207 pounds and very slow afoot (4.89 seconds in 40 yards), is considered a cerebral quarterback with average arm strength, at best. That makes him the opposite of Pryor, a 6-4, 233-pounder with dazzling speed (clocked in the 4.4s in 40 yards) and a strong arm whose play is dictated by instinct and carried out with raw athletic ability.
Coach Dennis Allen said last week that McGloin has continued to improve since his only appearance, when he completed eight of 15 passes for 84 yards during a 49-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles when Pryor twisted his right knee.
"I think he's got a better grasp of what we're doing offensively. He's continued to improve his decision-making," Allen said midweek. "He's continued to improve his accuracy and those are things that, really, you have to have as a quarterback in being able to throw the football. I think he's continued to improve as he's gotten a better feel for what we're doing offensively."
