The 2017 season could be classified as nothing short of a disappointment for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross that was marred by injuries. It was nowhere near the start of his NFL career that neither Ross or the Bengals had hoped to gather following his selection with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

However, it has given him the chance to reflect and learn from the mistakes and pitfalls that could come in the course of a full season. According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Ross admitted that he let the entire situation involving his injury overwhelm him and get him off track.

“Last year I let everything get to me,” Ross says. “I let my injury get to me. I was trying to do more than I could. I was out of shape. I’m not trying to make excuses, but its real life things. You can’t just come in the NFL and be that guy. You have to come in and prepare. I’ve learned that. It’s growth and progression from here on.”

It was a difficult rookie campaign for Ross that he had only taken the field in three games where he had zero catches on two targets and a fumble on 17 total offensive snaps. He had begun the regular season dealing with a knee injury that forced him to miss the season opener, which he followed up with his debut the next game as he immediately got off on the wrong foot by fumbling his only carry of the contest that led to his benching.

Ross was then forced to miss the next three weeks due to a knee injury and had remained active for two out of the following 10 games before he was placed on injured reserve list due to a nagging shoulder injury that required surgery. All of this makes it quite understandable for him to get thrown off a bit by the number of struggles he had with staying healthy in his first NFL season.

With that behind him, Ross has a chance to get a fresh start this upcoming season to showcase why he was selected with one of the top picks in his draft class and potentially prove to be a versatile asset in the passing game alongside Pro Bowler A.J. Green.