Jerome Stanley may be the first sports agent to criticize a franchise for starting his client.

During a Monday press conference, Oakland Raiders head coach Dennis Allen announced that Terrelle Pryor, not Matt McGloin, would start the team’s final regular season game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. While the move would seem to provide a chance for the youthful Pryor to prove himself before the end of the season, his agent Stanley claims Allen is using his client as a scapegoat.

“I think they’re putting him in hopes that he fails,” Stanley said during an interview with CSN Bay Area. “That’s what I think [Coach Allen] is doing. I think they’re putting him in hopes that he has a bad game, so he can justify the Matt McGloin situation. I think that’s what’s going on, I do, and it’s ridiculous.”

Stanley is referring to Allen’s decision to replace Pryor, who started the season’s first nine games, with McGloin after the former suffered a knee injury. In Week 11, McGloin played well enough against the Houston Texans to wrest the starting job away from Pryor, even after team doctors had declared him healthy. However, the Raiders have lost five straight games with McGloin as the starter, and the looming specter of yet another losing season has Allen on the hot seat.

“You have to understand the coach is putting him in, he doesn’t want him to look good,” Stanley continued. “And you can write that. He doesn’t want him to look good because, if he looks good this week, it makes the past five weeks look like a bad decision. [Allen] doesn’t want him to look good, he wants him to look bad. That’s what’s going on.”

On Tuesday, Pryor backed away from his agent’s comments, issuing a apologetic statement on his Twitter account. “I apologize for the recent comments towards the Raiders organization. That's not what I'm about,” Pryor wrote. “I'm thankful for this opportunity given to me by this great organization and the phenomenal fans. I'm very excited to play with my teammates Sunday! We hope to make you (fans) proud [sic].”

Pryor has five touchdown passes against 11 interceptions this season. He’s also rushed for over 500 yards and two touchdowns.

[h/t For The Win]

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