Heading into the 2017 season, there was much hope surrounding Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver John Ross that he could step into a significant role within the offensive game plan. It was anything but that as he was limited by injuries that never truly allowed for him to make a meaningful impact.

In fact, his season was abruptly cut short in early December as he was played on the injured reserve due to a nagging shoulder injury that required surgery. With that in mind, Ross is hoping to put all of his struggles last season behind him to finally make his mark in the NFL in 2018, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.

“I'm looking forward to August. I don't really care what the combine is talking about,” Ross said. “… I've been through a lot last year. But it's a new year. A lot of new things coming. The emphasis from last year looks to be change.”

It was nothing short of a forgettable rookie campaign for Ross as he only played in three games where he had zero catches on two targets and a fumble on 17 total offensive snaps. There was a high load of expectation on him after he was selected with the ninth overall pick in 2017 NFL Draft as the third wide receiver taken. He was coming off a breakout year at Washington where he established himself as one of the most dynamic wideouts in the nation.

The 23-year-old now has the opportunity in front of him to start over with a clean slate next season. Ross is currently recovering from the surgery, which he anticipates being ready to take the field at some point in the coming months. If he is able to stay healthy, he has a chance to etch out a significant role as he has game-changing ability behind his blazing speed that set an NFL Scouting Combine record with 4.22 40-yard run.

With a full bill of heal and training camp under his belt over this offseason, it could set the table for Ross to experience a bounce-back second season while showcasing the promising talent that made him a first-round selection.