Former first-round pick poised for NFL comeback

Mar 3, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington wide receiver John Ross speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

A former first-round pick appears set to try to return to the NFL and get his career back on track.

John Ross, the No. 9 pick in the 2017 draft, is planning to work out for teams around the start of the regular season. Ross, who is coming back from a knee injury he sustained last season, has been in contact with a number of teams and is expected to find work quickly.

Former top-10 pick John Ross plans to begin meeting with teams for workouts or visits around Week 1, per his agent, Brad Cicala, as he’ll soon be healthy off last year’s knee injury. Should find a team shortly thereafter. Several teams have remained in consistent contact.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 6, 2022

Ross memorably ran a record-setting 4.22 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in 2017, which helped vault him into the top ten. He struggled to tie down a regular role with the Cincinnati Bengals and was also plagued by injuries, leading to a trade request and eventual exit to the New York Giants.

Now 26, nobody doubts Ross’ speed, but his chances of being a No. 1 option are probably gone. He could still carve out a supplementary role in the right offense.