Terrelle Pryor: Raiders QB Has Little to Gain by Appealing Suspension

In some alternate universe, Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor will be on the sidelines for tonight's tilt against the Denver Broncos. In still another alternate universe, Pryor may even be starting for the Silver and Black.

In this universe, Pryor will be nowhere to be found. While he is technically a member of the Raiders, he is also technically suspended until Week 6. As a condition for his eligibility for the supplemental draft, the NFL hit Pryor with a five-game ban, the same penalty he would have served had he chosen to stay at Ohio State for the 2011 season.

My guess is that all of us know the story. If so, all of us probably know that Pryor and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, revealed on Friday that they wanted to appeal the ban. All they need now is the blessing of the NFL Players Association, which, according to CBS Sports, could have come as early as Monday.

It didn't, but the shaky consensus seems to be that the NFLPA will get behind Pryor sooner or later. Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback and NFLPA executive committee member Charlie Batch told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review back in August that Pryor's suspension was "not right." He's not the only one who thinks so.

So, to make a long story short, an appeal is probably coming.

As for why Pryor and his camp want to appeal, well, let's just say that part is a little bit more difficult to determine.

From a pure football perspective, the lifting of Pryor's suspension would accomplish very little. In addition to technically being a member of the Raiders, he would get to be an active member of the Raiders, as he would be allowed to practice with the team.

Unless the Raiders are planning to make Pryor their second- or even first-string quarterback after his suspension is over or lifted, though, that's about all Pryor would be able to do with the team. In-game reps are not going to be forthcoming.

So in reality—this universe once again—Pryor stands to gain nothing but a few extra weeks of practice. Even if he gets them, the idea of him being a major or even minor contributor for the Raiders this season is highly unlikely.

The question, then, is why Pryor is bothering with the appeal at all.

I actually think that's a really good question. From the look and feel of things, it seems to be just so he can stick it to the man a little bit. Thanks to some encouragement from certain members of the NFLPA, Pryor must have come to the conclusion that the NFL has no right to suspend for things he did when he wasn't in the league's ranks.

Conceivably, this is an argument that Pryor could win. If he does, the precedent that the league set with his suspension will be gone. In its place will be a precedent that will allow other NCAA wrongdoers to follow in Pryor's path without fear of consequence.

If that's a victory Pryor is looking for, well, so be it. But at the end of the day, all that he personally will have gained is the right to suit up and go to practice.

As far as payoffs go, that's a bit of a letdown.