Philadelphia Eagles take a chance on a failed former Chiefs project

A familiar name came across the NFL's transaction wire on Thursday with the news that the Philadelphia Eagles had signed veteran wide receiver John Ross. The Eagles will be Ross's fourth NFL franchise.

Ross joins the Eagles just one year after attempting to turn around his career with the Kansas City Chiefs—a failed attempt that featured little fanfare and even less production.

Ross signed with the Chiefs on a reserve/futures deal in January 2023, a flyer taken by general manager Brett Veach on a speedy project for a roster that lacked ideal downfield targets. The idea was right, but unfortunately Ross would fail to make the team—or even to the end of training camp.

As it turns out, setting a speed record can help you stay relevant for a few years in the NFL.

Just last summer, Ross decided to hang up his cleats and retire from the league after seven seasons of attempting to live up to the buzz of being a former top-10 pick. He was obviously being passed over by younger and lesser-known players in K.C. and retired in late July, shortly after Chiefs training camp started.

After a few months of sitting things out, Ross had an apparent change of heart and asked the Chiefs to release him from their reserve/retired list—making him a free agent once again. The Chiefs complied but the market never materialized for Ross after the fact—that is, until now.

The Eagles are adding Ross at a point where he's a longshot to make his presence felt, but the upside play is tantalizing for any team that hasn't taken the swing themselves. In his NFL career, Ross has 62 catches for 957 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 37 career games, mostly with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ross is most famous for breaking the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine back in 2017 when he did so in 4.22 seconds. That record stood until this year when Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the team's first-round pick, set a new record with 4.21 seconds.