Report: Jets Will Not Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Safety Pryor
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It looks like the Calvin Pryor era with the Jets will end after the 2017 season.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Jets have decided not to exercise the fifth-year option on the enigmatic safety. He will be allowed to test free agency.
The Jets are in a position to not have to commit to Pryor because they selected a pair of safeties during last week's NFL Draft, two players that are a better fit in head coach Todd Bowles' ball-hawking system. General manager Mike Maccagnan took LSU's Jamal Adams with the No. 6 overall pick and then grabbed Florida's Marcus Maye in the second round. Both are projected to be impact starters going forward.
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The Jets also have veteran safety Marcus Gilchrist on the roster, but he is coming off a severe knee injury that ended his 2016 season prematurely.
On the trading block for a while, Pryor has been a disappointment since being selected in the first round of the 2014 draft. The now-24-year-old safety, nicknamed the "Louisville Slugger" due to his standout career at the ACC school, has been hit or miss during his short career, performing better along the line of scrimmage than in deep coverage.
Pryor appeared in 15 games last year, with six pass breakups, a forced fumble and 43 solo tackles.
Gilchrist signed a four-year, $22 million free agent contract with the Jets after the 2014 season, and is due $6 million in both 2017 and 2018.
