Former Giants, Bengals WR John Ross III Eyes NFL Return After Knee Injury Recovery

Former New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross III will begin meeting with teams next week in hopes of returning to the NFL after recovering from a knee injury, his agent said, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler speculated that Ross "should find a team shortly thereafter," and several teams have remained in contact with him.

The Bengals selected Ross ninth overall in the 2017 NFL draft out of Washington after he put together an impressive 2016 campaign with the Huskies with 81 catches for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns in 14 games.

However, Ross never lived up to his draft status.

He went on to appear in just three games during his rookie season with the Bengals due to a knee injury. However, he was a healthy scratch for most of the games he was sidelined.

The 26-year-old then appeared in 13 games during the 2018 season, catching 21 passes for 210 yards and seven touchdowns.

In 27 total games with the Bengals across four seasons, Ross caught 51 passes for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns. His career in Cincinnati was ultimately derailed by a number of injuries, and he eventually requested a trade from the franchise in 2020 because he was upset with his playing time.

The Bengals did not trade Ross, but they declined his fifth-year option, which made him a free agent heading into the 2021 season.

Ross went on to sign a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million with the Giants in March 2021. He appeared in 10 games last season, catching 11 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown before suffering a knee injury that ended his year.

It's unclear which teams might be interested in signing him as we inch closer to the start of the 2022 campaign. However, it's clear that he will be a depth option for any franchise.