Chiefs WR Justyn Ross Placed on IR, Ending Rookie Season
Justyn Ross, the former Clemson Tigers wide receiver who fell out of the 2022 NFL Draft due to injury concerns, has been placed on the injured reserve list for the Kansas City Chiefs, ending his rookie season before it truly began.
Ross, dubbed a "first-round talent" by former head coach Dabo Swinney, had concerns after a "congenital fusion of his upper cervical spine and then a surgical fusion at a level below," sparking concern about his neck and back. However, it was an offseason foot surgery that ended Ross's 2022 season before being able to suit up in training camp.
On Friday, as the Chiefs' rookies and quarterbacks reported to camp, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told the media Ross had foot surgery to follow up on a previous surgery stemming from a foot injury that derailed his final season at Clemson.
"It was a little bit from the surgery that he had before," Reid said. "It was bothering him. It wasn’t working quite the way he wanted, so they went in and redid it. We’re hoping that this works out well."
When asked if the Chiefs had a timetable on Ross's return, Reid said he did not have a specific timeline, but said "it's going to take time." Now, it's evident that Ross will essentially have a redshirt season with the Chiefs before attempting to be healthy and on the field in 2023.
What does this mean for Ross and the 2022 Chiefs?
On a positive note, Ross's foot certainly projects to be a less-dangerous injury concern as opposed to his neck issues, and the Chiefs will be able to keep Ross in the facilities to heal and learn the offense over the course of an inactive '22 season.
Ross, if healthy, would have been in the mix for the Chiefs' final wide receiver positions during training camp. Without Ross, players like Josh Gordon, Cornell Powell, Daurice Fountain, Justin Watson and Corey Coleman all have better odds at grabbing what projects to be just two or three final WR roster spots.
