The 2010s was not a decade to remember for the Raiders franchise as a whole. Then still in Oakland, the Raiders had just one season above .500 as they struggled to turn around their fortunes. 2013 was one of the worst years as they went 4-12, but it did have some flashes of excitement thanks to quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
Pryor was an absolute star at Ohio State University, but thanks to a 2011 scandal, had to withdraw from the university. The Raiders would select Pryor in the third round of the 2011 Supplemental Draft but saw minimal action until 2013 when he won the starting job.
There were ups and downs, but Pryor would provide the biggest play of the season for the Raiders in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the first play from scrimmage, Pryor would fake a handoff and go 93 yards for the longest touchdown run by a quarterback in NFL history, via Raiders on X:
🗣️ Storming out of the gates.
Terrelle Pryor took it 93 yards for the longest TD run ever by a QB.#PITvsLV pic.twitter.com/HtQs4tKTJJ
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 19, 2023
Pryor was always an outstanding athlete, and that speed was shown off on this play as he simply outran the entire Steelers defense with no one coming close to him. It was an outstanding start to a game the Raiders would go on to win 21-18 over their longtime rivals, and that run is arguably the best play of Pryor’s career. Not only did it set an NFL record, but it also broke Bo Jackson’s Raiders record for the longest run in franchise history.
That athleticism and speed is what ultimately carried Pryor throughout his NFL career as his passing ability never could quite match his physical gifts. He would remain the Raiders starter until getting hurt in Week 9 and would start just one more contest at quarterback after that.
After other unsuccessful attempts at finding a spot at quarterback for multiple different teams, Pryor would switch positions to wide receiver and join the Cleveland Browns. In 2016 he led Cleveland with 77 receptions for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns.
With the Raiders set to take on the Steelers once again this week, the franchise would love to see some explosive plays like this in a Raiders win. Jimmy Garoppolo certainly isn’t able to pull off runs as Pryor did, but if he can get the ball in the hands of his playmakers, the Raiders have a good chance at picking up another win over their longtime rivals.
