John Ross retired less than one year ago, but his comeback attempt resulted in an Eagles deal last week. The former top-10 pick recently spoke about the regret he felt following his decision to hang up his cleats. 
Ross admitted he immediately considered the retirement call a mistake when speaking to the media as Philadelphia’s newest receiver. Veteran DeVante Parker decided to end his career, a move which opened up a roster spot for Ross. The latter worked out for the Eagles before signing to their offseason roster.
“You look at it like this,” Ross said (via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia). “In my situation, I was a top-10 draft pick and we all talk about it all the time. ‘If we ever get to the point where we have to try out, then we’ll be done.’ But then you get to that point and you don’t have no other choice. When I go the opportunity, I was probably the happiest person on Earth.”
In many cases, veterans who land deals last in the offseason are unable to survive roster cutdowns at the end of the summer. Ross will face a steep challenge in Philadelphia to carve out an offense role considering the team’s wide receiver depth chart. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith (both of whom are attached to new, lucrative deals) are set to remain focal points of the Eagles’ passing game for 2024 and many years beyond that.
Ross – whose draft stock was boosted by a then-record in the 40-yard dash – struggled to establish himself as a consistent option on offense with the Bengals from 2017-20. Injuries kept him sidelined for stretches during that time, and he managed just 11 catches with the Giants in 2021. The 28-year-old did not play the following year, so his retirement decision appeared to mark an underwhelming end to his career. If he can catch on with the Eagles in 2024, though, he will have the opportunity to continue in the NFL.
He’d be an awesome comeback story. I’m usually indifferent but I hope he makes the team and becomes a solid WR3 behind AJ & Devonta
Uh…don’t you have to accomplish something before you can be considered a comeback story? This guy was a total bust who averaged just 12 catches a season during his so called career.
lol I should rephrase. His combine numbers gave him quick acclaim and he never lived up to it. Now people are wondering what will come of Xavier Worthy who broke his record
“If we ever get to the point where we have to try out, then we’ll be done.”
Where does the stereotype about WRs being prima donnas come from?
He’s also terrible at pronouns. He misuses “you” and “we” when he means himself.
Nowadays, you can use pronouns however you want.
Can’t teach speed, but you also have to be able to CATCH the football. Nobody ever doubted his running abilities, it was his propensity to whiff on balls thrown to him, and his lack of knowledge about what to do on the rare occasion he actually caught a ball and was able to hang onto it. He would have been a hall of famer in the “Lester Hayes Stickum era of the game.”
I’m an old timer who believes the football we fans watched in the Lester Hayes era was better than what we’re being offered now. I also have to ask why people consider Stickum a cheat but don’t have a problem with velcro padded gloves (which essentially serve the same purpose).
It’s because the NFL can’t profit from stickum, but they can sell high school boys 300 dollar officially endorsed Velcro gloves that they have made in Vietnam for two bucks a pair. I’m with you I wish the NFL would go back to the days when football was football. Making it “safer” has made it much less interesting. My philosophy is they don’t HAVE to play a game for a living and if they choose to play football they know the risks. Boxers and MMA fighters know they are going to be pummeled and possibly get brain damage, yet they get in there and beat the crap out of each other anyway. If you know the risks and you make a choice it’s on you.