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The Kansas City Chiefs signed wide receiver John Ross III to a Reserve/Future contract, according to ESPN’s Field Yates on Monday, January 9.
Ross, 27, will go down in the NFL record book as having the fastest 40-yard dash time in the NFL Combine since 1999, when an electronic clock was first used at the event. Ross ran a 4.22 at the Combine in 2017. His efforts at the Combine paired with a very strong college resume at Washington led to Ross being drafted ninth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in April of that year. That pick was right before the Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes 10th overall.
Unfortunately, Ross’ abilities didn’t translate well to the NFL. In four seasons with the Bengals, Ross registered 51 receptions on 123 targets for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns in 27 total games played, according to Pro Football Reference.
Ross’ elite speed wasn’t enough to earn him a second contract with Cincinnati either, let alone having his fifth-year option picked up by the team.
In 2021, Ross signed with the New York Giants. In 10 games played last season, Ross caught 11 passes on 20 targets for 224 yards and 1 touchdown. His time in New York lasted only one season, however, as Ross became a free agent in 2022 and was no re-signed by the Giants.
Chiefs Also Sign 2021 Hoosiers Captain
Along with signing Ross on January 9, Kansas City also signed receiver Ty Fryfogle, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.
Fryfogle, 23, played his college ball at Indiana and was the first Hoosiers wideout to earn All-America status since James Hardy (2007), doing so in 2020, according to Sports Reference. That season, Fryfogle recorded 37 catches for 721 yards and 7 touchdowns, per the team’s website.
As a team captain in 2021, Fryfogle caught 46 passes for 512 yards and 1 touchdown. A quiet year for the Big Ten pass catcher caused him to go undrafted. He did sign with the Dallas Cowboys on April 30 but was released by the team on August 15.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlien did a writeup on Fryfogle leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft in which he evaluated Fryfogle’s abilities:
“Fryfogle simply didn’t play with the same determination and focus in 2021 that he displayed in 2020,” Zierlein wrote. “He blends size and speed and uses his frame effectively in tight quarters but failed to secure throws at the same success rate as his previous two seasons. A high percentage of his career targets have been contested, so he needs to play faster and with more focused routes in order to improve his separation and prove he can uncover. He has late-round value and some upside if he can call back his 2020 form.”
Twitter Reacts to Chiefs Signing Ross
Twitter users reacted to the Chiefs signing Ross.
“I feel like chiefs are the perfect place for guys like that, crazy athletic but injury prone, issues with drops, route running etc. Just the best QB in the world so bound to get SOMETHING out of them I suppose is the logic,” one Twitter user wrote.
“The Chiefs organization never cease to amaze me,” another user wrote. “They have made some very good under the radar decision that are setting them up to continue to be great a great team. They are being very strategic in putting pieces together for Mahomes. Kadarius Toney was a good addition.”
“I honestly never thought id hear his name again…at least for anything positive. Good for him,” another user wrote.
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