The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a crucial blow to their receiving corps with the injury to A.J. Green. As a result, wide receiver John Ross knows this is the time for him to step up and help fill the void.

Ross has struggled to find his footing thus far in his career. According to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer, he is optimistic about taking that next step going into the 2019 NFL season.

“It’s got to be my best year,” Ross said. “I think every year you should want it to be your best year. The expectations I have for myself for this year are way beyond what I’ve done last year and the year before. It’s definitely a huge year. More so for all of us. I’m not a stat guy or anything like that. I kind of want to bring the city something more than just an All-Pro receiver. It’s more of us building together and doing something big for everyone.”

It is certainly encouraging to see Ross has not lost any confidence in his skill set. He will need every edge he can get if he hopes to turn things around in Cincinnati.

Unfortunately, he has not done much to inspire too much certainty for the Bengals. They made quite the investment when they took him with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, however, he struggled with injuries his entire rookie year before finishing the 2018 campaign with 21 receptions for 210 yards and seven touchdowns.

To make matters worse, Ross has currently been unable to take part in training camp due to a hamstring injury. Regardless, the Bengals will undoubtedly be relying on the young speedster to carry the load once he is able to make his return.