Chiefs WR Justyn Ross: Comeback Player of the Year Candidate?

Ross has overcome a lot just to have a chance to play in the NFL, and it looks like he's on the verge of making history.

It’s a foregone conclusion that Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will be Comeback Player of the Year for the 2023-2024 NFL season. Seeing him back on the field less than a year after collapsing in a game is inspiring, and he’s the obvious choice and betting favorite to be the recipient of the award. It’s clear that no one else has a serious shot to win it. Despite that, can a player who has never logged a single down in the NFL have a chance to get some buzz? The Kansas City Chiefs have someone that fits the description: Justyn Ross.

Ross was a four-star prospect and one of the top wide receivers coming out of Alabama in high school. He committed to play at Clemson, picking the Tigers over in-state schools Alabama and Auburn. Ross had a coming out party his freshman year at Clemson, catching 46 passes for 1,000 yards that included nine touchdowns. He saved his best performance for the final game of the season: the National Championship Game against the team he passed up during the recruiting process, Alabama. 

Ross finished the game with a game-high six catches for 156 yards and a touchdown. Other top offensive players in that game included his teammates quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne, as well as wide receivers Tee Higgins and Hunter Renfrow. On the other side of the ball were quarterbacks Tua Tagovaiola and Jalen Hurts, running backs Najee Harris, Josh Jacobs, and Damien Harris, plus wide receivers Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs. All of those names are notable because they all became successful NFL players, and Ross outshined them all on the biggest stage.

Ross showed that his ceiling could be a top 10 draft pick and a future NFL star. He was set to make an even bigger jump in his sophomore season but he played through an injury late in the year and took a backseat to Higgins. He still finished that season with 865 yards receiving on 68 catches, including eight touchdowns. Before his junior season, the real issues began for Ross.

In May 2020, Ross was diagnosed with Klippel-Feil syndrome, causing a congenital fusion in his neck and spine. He had surgery that involved the complete removal of a disc in his neck and stabilization of the joint. There was some concern that he would never play football again. Despite all of the odds being stacked against him, Ross returned to football in 2021 but he never returned to form and dealt with a concussion as well as a lower leg injury through most of the season. He tried to play through the injuries, getting to 10 games, and finishing the season with 46 catches, 514 yards and three scores.

Despite the setbacks and red flags, Ross declared for the NFL Draft. His medicals caused every team to pass on him, though, and he went undrafted. No player diagnosed with Kippel-Feil syndrome had ever been cleared to play in the NFL due to the risk of catastrophic injury. Despite that, the Chiefs took a chance on Ross, adding him as an undrafted free agent just shy of two years after his surgery. From projected first-round pick to undrafted free agent, Ross was getting a chance.

May 26, 2022; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross (8) runs drills during organized team activities at The University of Kansas Health System Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

After joining the Chiefs for rookie minicamp and flashing some big play ability, the team directed Ross to get foot surgery to repair a lingering injury from his final season at Clemson. Ross proved his toughness by playing through it, but this was a good choice to deal with it before things got worse. This would essentially give Ross a redshirt rookie season. He was able to stay with the team, learn the offense and have the best medical care at his disposal. Apparently, those plans look to be paying off for Ross to this point.

Heading into the 2023 season, there has been quite a bit of buzz surrounding Ross. He was one of the wide receivers working with quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Texas over the summer, he was a standout at training camp, and he recorded a touchdown in the first preseason game of his NFL career last week against the New Orleans Saints. It’s impossible to not feel good about what Ross has accomplished to this point, and he hasn’t even officially made the team yet.

That is what comes next for Ross: making the team. All signs point to him being on the final 53-man roster. When that becomes official and Ross gets into his first game action during Week 1 of the season, he will be the first player with Kippel-Feil syndrome to ever play in an NFL game.

Will Ross have the type of season that blows everyone out of the water and pushes himself in line to potentially win Comeback Player of the Year? Probably not, but no matter what his stats are, just getting back on the field and making history should put his name in the conversation. Ross can inspire us all and deserves to be celebrated. 

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