Terrelle Pryor's Injury Gives Raiders Perfect Chance to Showcase Matt Flynn

Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor suffered a concussion after receiving a monster hit from Denver Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard during Monday Night Football. The hit left Pryor angry. During an interview with ESPN, the quarterback said, "I think he should get fined, definitely."

Aside from leaving him angry, the hit also left Pryor sidelined.

Matt Flynn has taken the first-team reps this week during practice, according to Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area. Pryor has been progressing, but it is still uncertain whether he will be able to suit up on Sunday—he needs to undergo one more round of tests before he is cleared to take contact.

If Pryor is unable to go this week against the Washington Redskins, Flynn would be in line to start.

This gives the Raiders a golden opportunity to showcase Flynn in order to draw interest from potential trade partners.

Unloading Flynn to a quarterback-needy team would give the Raiders immediate salary-cap relief. According to Spotrac.com, Flynn is scheduled to make $7.625 million in 2014—a hefty salary for a backup quarterback.

Currently, Flynn is expendable due to the support that third-string quarterback Matt McGloin has received since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State. NFL.com reported before the season began that there were people within the Raiders organization who felt McGloin would give the Raiders the best chance to win.

That same report also stated that Oakland still wanted to see what it had in Pryor—Al Davis' final draft pick—before making its next move. With glowing praise for McGloin and genuine interest in Pryor, Flynn is certainly the odd man out.

The last time Flynn was given a chance to start a game during the regular season was in 2011 when he was with the Green Bay Packers. Flynn attempted 44 passes, completing 31 for 480 yards, six touchdowns and one interception for a passer rating of 136.4 against the Detroit Lions during a Week 17 matchup.

That stellar performance was enough for the Seattle Seahawks to sign Flynn to a three-year deal the following season. After losing the starting role to Russell Wilson, Flynn was traded to the Raiders one season later for a 2014 fifth-round pick and a 2015 conditional pick.

After arriving in Oakland, Flynn was unimpressive during the preseason, which caused him to miss out on a starting role once again.

However, all it may take to reignite interest in the quarterback is one game.

The 2011 Lions may have even been a more formidable opponent for Flynn than the 2013 Redskins from a pass defense standpoint.

Michael Vick, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford have all had field days against Washington this season. These three quarterbacks passed for 203, 480 and 385 yards, respectively. They also accumulated eight total touchdowns through the air.

If there were ever a time to showcase Flynn in an attempt to attract a trade, this would be it.

The Raiders are in a rebuild mode right now and need to make smart decisions for the franchise going forward. Giving Flynn an opportunity against the Redskins this week would be a great start.