ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Former first-round draft pick John Ross signed with the Chiefs in January in an effort to return to the field after a season away from the NFL, but that bid came to a close Wednesday as he landed on the league’s reserve/retired list.
The 27-year-old Ross entered the league as the No. 9 overall selection in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was selected one spot ahead of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Ross set an NFL Combine record with a 40-yard time of 4.22 seconds, eclipsing the mark previously held by running back Chris Johnson.
Ross struggled during his rookie season in Cincinnati. After missing the season opener due to a knee injury, Ross picked up 12 yards on a rush on his first touch of the football but fumbled at the end of the play. He would play just three games in his rookie season.
He appeared on the verge of a breakout campaign in 2019 with 28 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns but a shoulder injury limited him to just eight games. After four seasons with the Bengals, Ross signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Giants in March 2021. Injuries again derailed his career, limiting him to 10 with 11 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown.
A knee injury suffered late in the season kept Ross from finding a new team the following year. He returned to the NFL in January when he signed a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs worth the veteran minimum of $1.08 million for one season.
Ross at times demonstrated the same speed and elusiveness during offseason workouts that made him a tantalizing talent earlier in his career. He appeared to be a strong candidate to compete for the punt return specialist role.
But Ross got off to a slow start during training camp. He was third in the punt return rotation Monday behind Richie James and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, and likely faced competition from Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore. During Tuesday’s practice, a pass from backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert bounced off the hands of Ross and into the grasp of safety Mike Edwards for an interception.
If this indeed marks the end of the NFL road for Ross, he finishes his carer with 62 catches for 957 yards and 11 touchdowns in 37 games over five seasons. He also rushed nine times for 41 yards.
The departure of Ross leaves the Chiefs with one vacant roster position. The club currently has 90 players under contract but has a roster exemption for offensive tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick through the NFL International Player Pathway Program.
The Impact
The departure of Ross removes another NFL veteran from the team’s receiver room but Ross was increasingly unlikely to make the club. His best shot at making the 53-player roster was as a punt return specialist, and that role will likely be filled by some combination of Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Richie James.
Ross’s retirement leaves the Chiefs with 12 receivers in camp. Five seem certain of landing positions on the 53-player roster: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Moore, Rashee Rice and Justin Watson.
James, Justyn Ross and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are next in line if the Chiefs keep six — or even seven — receivers on the 53-player roster.
Other receivers in the mix are Cornell Powell, Kekoa Crawford, Ty Fryfogle and Nikko Remigio.
