John Ross Retires as NFL Greatness Eludes Him
John Ross, after six agonizing years in pursuit of an NFL career, has hung up his cleats.
On Wednesday, the former University of Washington wide receiver and kick returner — one of the more elusive players in school history — informed the Kansas City Chiefs he was retiring from the game and was put on the team's reserve/Injured list.
A 2017 first-round pick for the Cincinnati Bengals, Ross entered the NFL with so much promise after setting a combine record with a 4.22-second 40-yard dash following an explosive junior season that helped put the UW in the College Football Playoff.
However, Ross, 27, could never stay healthy long enough to establish himself as an overly productive NFL player.
John Ross shows off his speed in the 2016 Pac-12 championship game against Colorado.
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
The Long Beach, California, native, in fact, sat out the 2022 season in an effort to get himself right and in January signed a reserve-future contract with Kansas City.
After dealing with a torn ACL and labrum at the UW, Ross was saddled with foot, knee and shoulder injuries throughout his pro career. On his record-breaking combine run, he even strained his calves.
Ross, who played five seasons for the New York Giants and the Bengals, finished his NFL career with 62 receptions for 951 yards and 11 touchdowns.
In contrast, he had 81 catches for 1,150 yards and 17 scores in his 2016 UW season alone.
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