Inside The Huskies

Ex-Husky Ross Not Done with NFL Yet, Signs with Eagles

The speedy wide receiver hasn't played in the league since 2021.

Dan Raley

Wide receiver John Ross, then with the New York Giants, signals first down against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021.
Wide receiver John Ross, then with the New York Giants, signals first down against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

One of the things that never seemed quite right was that John Ross was done with football, that the former University of Washington wide receiver and kick returner would play just five seasons in the NFL and be gone.

Others have felt the same way because on Thursday the Philadelphia Eagles signed Ross to a one-year contract after he attended a recent minicamp as a tryout player.

The 5-11, 194-pound Ross -- the ninth pick of the 2017 NFL draft who wowed everyone with his record 4.22-second time over 40 yards at the combine -- hasn't played in a game since 2021, sitting out two entire seasons.

Simply signing a deal with a pro football team fairly deep in receivers after such a long layoff is an accomplishment in itself.

Ross, 28, will try to jumpstart a career that took him to the Cincinnati Bengals for four seasons and to the New York Giants for another. A year ago, he signed a futures contract with the Kansas City Chiefs only to abruptly retire seven months later. He has career totals of 62 receptions for 957 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Originally from Long Beach, California, Ross played for the UW in 2013-16, building a sterling reputation for a 12-2 College Football Playoff semifinal team by catching 81 passes for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Known for that speed, he scored on five plays over 90 yards for the Huskies, including four kickoff returns, two of which covered 100 yards. He was so athletic he even started four games as a UW cornerback, as well.

While dealing with various injuries, Ross had his best NFL season in 2018 when he scored 7 touchdowns on just 21 catches for the Bengals. He's averaged 15.4 yards per reception in his career.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley

DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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