John Ross to Retire After Brief Stint With Chiefs

Ross, still just 27 years old, was placed on the reserve/retired list by the Chiefs on Wednesday.

As the Kansas City Chiefs have a day off from training camp practice on Thursday, they'll be moving forward without a member of their full roster. Not only is there a player calling it quits in Kansas City, but he's also walking away from the NFL in general.

Per numerous reports stemming from July 26 NFL transaction wire, wide receiver John Ross was placed on the reserve/retired list on Wednesday:

The #Chiefs placed WR John Ross on the reserve/retired list, according to today’s transaction wire. The record holder for fastest 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine (4.22) and No. 9 overall pick in 2017 has decided to retire.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 26, 2023

Ross was one of five players who didn't practice for the Chiefs on Wednesday morning, and the team indicated during media availability later on that he was excused from participating. This retirement news provides some more context, as the former No. 9 overall draft pick back in 2017 — one spot before Patrick Mahomes — appears to be calling it a career. 

Originally signing a Reserve/Future deal with Kansas City back in January, Ross was expected to provide healthy competition near the end of the wide receiver depth chart and potentially even factor into the picture as a special teams option during camp and the preseason. Most projected him to be on the outside looking in as far as a roster spot was concerned, and his retirement now renders it a moot point. The former Washington standout still holds the official NFL Scouting Combine record for running the fastest 40-yard dash (4.22 seconds).

Despite Ross's talent and profile coming out of college, 2021 was the last time he logged a regular-season snap. After playing out his rookie contract with the Cincinnati Bengals and hauling in a combined 51 passes for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns in 27 games, he latched on with the New York Giants for the 2021-22 season. Playing 12 games for New York and starting one of them, Ross recorded another 11 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown while also carrying the ball once for 16 yards. He didn't record a stat nor play for a team during this past 2022-23 campaign.

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