NFL veteran wide receiver John Ross signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the New York Giants. Ross spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The #Giants have agreed to terms with WR John Ross on a one-year, $2.5 million deal that includes $1 million guaranteed, source says. The ninth overall pick in 2017 with the 4.22 40 time gets a chance to reset his career in East Rutherford.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 16, 2021
John Ross, New York Giants, Agree to Contract
After spending his entire career in Cincinnati, John Ross III is headed to a new destination. The former first-round pick from the 2017 NFL Draft now accepts a new opportunity. He was selected ninth overall out of the University of Washington, where he was the AP All PAC-12 Player of the Year in 2016. Ross was part of a Huskies team that 12-1 in the 2016 season, earning a College Football Playoff berth. At Washington, Ross compiled 1,729 receiving yards, 114 receptions, and 22 touchdowns. His 17 touchdowns during his final season in 2016 are tied for the most in PAC-12 history.
Ross’s speed is his biggest calling card. The receiver ran a 4.22 40-yard dash at the Draft Combine, the fastest in combine history. Ross ran track at Jordan High School in Long Beach, CA, placing third in the 100-meter dash in a statewide competition. Eventually, Ross became a four-star recruit and received offers from a wide range of Division I football programs.
After coming to the NFL, Ross struggled to stay on the field due to injuries. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after playing in just three games as a rookie. Since then, Ross has never logged a complete season, though he played in 13 games in 2018. On Oct. 30, 2020, Ross tweeted, “It’s not a secret that I have requested a trade.” He never appeared in a Bengals uniform again. Ross was featured in only 8% of Cincinnati’s offensive snaps this season.
Across 27 career games, Ross has 733 receiving yards, 51 receptions, and ten touchdowns. He was occasionally featured as a part of the Bengals’ running game, compiling 25 yards and eight attempts. Though he received limited special teams opportunities in Cincinnati, Ross returned punts and kicks in college. He logged four touchdowns and averaged 24.2 yards per kick return at Washington.
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