IT’S A DONE DEAL: wide receiver John Ross’s deal with the Philadelphia Eagles has been canceled due to his….
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — On Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles signed wide receiver John Ross, a former first-round draft pick, to a one-year contract.
Ross had retired from the NFL in 2023 after signing a reserve/future contract with the Kansas City Chiefs but is now attempting a comeback. He joined the Eagles after participating in their rookie minicamp at the end of April.
This signing follows the retirement of veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker, who decided to leave the NFL after nine seasons to spend more time with his family. Parker had signed with the Eagles in March after stints with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins but was placed on the reserve/retired list on Wednesday.
Ross, 28, was renowned for his speed when he entered the 2017 NFL draft from the University of Washington. He was the ninth overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals and was the third wide receiver selected, with his name announced at the Art Museum steps in Philadelphia, the draft’s location that year.
Ross set a record with a 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, a record that was recently broken by Xavier Worthy, a wide receiver drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite his speed, Ross struggled with injuries and limited production throughout his career, playing in only 37 games over five seasons with the Bengals and New York Giants. He played at least 10 games only twice, in 2018 and 2021.
In those 37 games, Ross accumulated 62 catches for 957 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best seasons were in 2018 and 2019 with the Bengals, where he had seven receiving touchdowns on 21 catches for 210 yards in 2018 and 28 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns in 2019.
While A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are assured spots on the Eagles’ roster, the rest of the wide receiver positions remain open. Ross will compete this summer to secure a role for the 2024 season during the offseason and training camp.
