Report: Bengals' John Ross Not Likely to Be Traded Despite Twitter Request

Cincinnati Bengals receiver John Ross is not expected to be moved ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, according to Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Per Dragon, the plan is for Ross to finish out his rookie contract with the Bengals and hit free agency after the season.

Cincinnati already sent Carlos Dunlap to the Seattle Seahawks once it became clear Dunlap wanted out of town. Ross took a similar approach ahead of the NFL trade deadline amid a disappointing season for him and the team as a whole:

Through three appearances, Ross has two receptions for 17 yards.

The Bengals selected the 24-year-old with the ninth overall pick of the 2017 draft. Even at the time, the pick looked like a bit of a reach.

Ross famously ran a 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he didn't have a strong body of work from his three years with the Washington Huskies. He caught 114 passes for 1,729 yards and 22 touchdowns in 40 games.

In his final big board ahead of the 2017 draft, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked him as the 24th-best player overall and the third-best wideout.

Ross had a rookie year to forget. He picked up a knee injury in the preseason, appeared in three games and failed to make a single reception. He also received a public rebuke from then-head coach Marvin Lewis after slowing down on a deep passing route during a 24-20 defeat to the Tennessee Titans.

The 2018 season wasn't much better for Ross. He had 21 receptions for 210 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games. Out of 84 qualified receivers, he ranked 81st in DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement), per Football Outsiders.

Ross looked to be turning a corner in 2019 after catching 11 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns in the first two weeks. Then he landed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury after four games. His overall production (28 catches, 506 yards, three touchdowns) wasn't too bad over what was effectively half a season.

Still, two developments showed the Bengals had little confidence in Ross going forward. They selected Clemson wideout Tee Higgins in the second round of the draft and declined Ross' fifth-year option for 2021. The latter is the surest sign a one-time first-rounder has failed to live up to expectations.

The Bengals have a well-earned reputation for being penny-pinchers, but they're generally willing to pay their own players whatever the going rate is. For example, Tyler Boyd had a breakout 2018, finishing with 76 receptions for 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns. The team rewarded him with a four-year, $43 million extension.

Even if he remains with the team beyond the deadline, Ross seems to have no future in Cincinnati. The coaching switch from Lewis to Zac Taylor did little to solidify his place in the offense. Taylor represented a clean slate to some extent, yet nothing about the situation changed.

Now, it appears Ross will have to wait until next year for a fresh start elsewhere.