What happened to John Ross? Reasons for ex-Bengals WR’s early retirement explored

Indianapolis Colts v Cincinnati Bengals — What happened to John Ross? Reasons about ex-Bengals WR’s early retirement explored

Former Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants wideout John Ross made the surprising decision to retire from the NFL in July. He was only 27 when he decided to hang up his cleats.

Ross's career, which began with high expectations after an impressive performance at the Combine in 2017, unfortunately, did not pan out as many had hoped.

Why did John Ross retire?

Ross recorded the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL Combine, completing the drill in just 4.22 seconds. He struggled to translate his skill set into the big league. Moreover, injuries plagued his pro football journey, limiting him to just 37 games over six seasons in the league.

Most of his time was spent with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he battled various injuries throughout four seasons. He later had a brief stint with the New York Giants, appearing in 10 games during one season.

With his latest opportunity with the Kansas City Chiefs, after signing a Reserve/Future deal in January, he was expected to provide some depth at the wide receiver position and potentially contribute on special teams. However, it seems that his decision to retire was the reason behind his absence from practice.

The injuries Ross endured played a significant role in his decision to call it quits.

A look at John Ross' injury-plagued NFL career

John Ross had a challenging start to his NFL career as a rookie with the Cincinnati Bengals. He suffered a knee injury and found himself dropping down the team's depth chart, getting limited playing time. In just three games, he had a fumble and failed to make any receptions, with only one rush for 12 yards.

His injuries during preseason and later in the regular season kept him from making a significant impact, ultimately forcing him to the injured reserve in Week 13.

However, in the 2018 season, John Ross showed some promise. He contributed 21 catches, 210 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns, although he missed a few games due to a groin injury.

His breakthrough came in the first two weeks of the 2019 season when he delivered outstanding performances with 158 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, and 112 yards and another touchdown in Week 2.

Unfortunately, injuries continued to haunt him, and he spent eight weeks on injured reserve due to a shoulder problem. This affected his performance for the rest of the season, as he only managed to add 236 yards in the remaining games.

The 2020 season wasn't any kinder to him, as he played in just three games. He was placed on injured reserve in November. He got hurt during practice and suffered a foot injury. His contributions that season were limited to just two receptions for 17 yards.

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In 2021, John Ross moved to the New York Giants, but his performances remained consistent with previous years, with 11 catches, 224 receiving yards, and one touchdown on 20 targets. He didn't participate in any games during the 2022 season.

Despite showing moments of promise, Ross struggled to stay on the field consistently due to various injuries, which prevented him from fully realizing his talent.

John Ross net worth: How much is the former NFL wideout worth in 2023?

According to reports, John Ross is worth around $5 million as of 2023. He made most of his wealth during his five-year NFL career.

Per Spotrac, Ross made $18,953,895 in career earnings during his time in the big league. He signed a four-year, $17.1 million rookie contract with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017.

Ross then signed a reported one-year, $2.5 million contract with the New York Giants in March 2021. However, he made the decision to hang up his cleats in July 2023.

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