Agent defends John Ross amid injury concerns

The agent for wide receiver John Ross issued a statement on Friday defending his client from reports about the draft prospect’s injury concerns.

NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock said on a conference call Friday that some teams have taken Ross off their draft boards because of his injury history.

“There are some teams that have pushed him either down their boards or off their boards because of injuries,” Mayock said, via NFL.com. “He’s had surgery on his shoulder, he’s had surgery on both knees, and he’s got a small frame. So the durability is a big issue with him right now.”

Ross, who played at Washington, set the NFL Combine record by running a 4.22 40-yard dash time. He then underwent shoulder surgery. He also underwent two knee surgeries in 2015, first for a torn meniscus, and then for a torn ACL.

Here’s the agent’s statement to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Despite recent reports, John Ross III has never sustained 2 ACL injury’s nor has he had 2 ACL surgeries. In January of 2015 he endured surgery on his right lateral meniscus and in April of 2015 he had surgery on his left ACL. Upon his return, Ross recorded 1150 yards and 16 touchdowns, and was also named the AP’s Pac-12 player of The Year. During the 2016 Stanford game (Game 5), John injured his right labrum but was able to finish the season strong. He went on to compete at the NFL Combine where he broke the 40-yard dash record by running a 4.22. Immediately after the combine, John underwent surgery on his right labrum and has been rehabbing ever since. A recent report from his doctor, Dr. Albert Gee, Division Chief from the Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine from the University of Washington, states that John’s recovery is ahead of schedule and he will be fully healthy by the start of NFL camp. I have confirmed with numerous NFL teams that John’s recent medical rechecks have come back positive.”

Ross caught 81 passes for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns last season for the Huskies. He is still projected as a first-round pick despite the injury concerns.