Chiefs Release John Ross, WR Seeking Return to NFL

The #Chiefs waived WR John Ross from the reserve/retired list today. The ninth overall pick in the 2017 Draft wants to make a return to the league and will look for an opportunity on a roster or practice squad.

There's a bit of immediate confusion with Garafolo's phrasing, as Ross being waived would then subject him to the waiver priority order in the aftermath of leaving Kansas City. Other reports indicate that Ross is being released, which falls more in line with his time in the NFL. The 28-year-old wideout has already met the minimum of four accrued seasons required to avoid the waiver system and instead be free to sign with any NFL team of his choosing. He's a vested veteran.

Ross originally signed a reserve/future deal with the Chiefs in January. Sticking with the team for most of the offseason program and into the beginning of training camp, it was revealed that he was placed on the reserve/retired list on July 26. Just over four months since his retirement, it appears that Ross is seeking a chance to latch back on with a team and continue his professional career.

In 37 career regular-season games of action, Ross has hauled in 62 passes on 143 targets for 957 yards and 11 touchdowns. His most successful seasons came back in 2018 and 2019, when he scored a combined 10 touchdowns and had 716 receiving yards as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. In addition to his time with the Chiefs, Ross played in 10 games for the New York Giants back in 2021. He's known for his blazing 4.22-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine back in 2017, and he'll now look to bring that speed to a franchise on either a practice squad or active roster basis.