Three days after losing wide receiver DeVante Parker to retirement before he played a snap with the team, the Philadelphia Eagles signed veteran wideout John Ross to a one-year contract, the team announced on Thursday.

Ross, who last played in the NFL in 2021 before retiring in July 2023, joined the Eagles on a tryout basis during their recent rookie minicamp. Philadelphia was impressed enough to offer him a shot at a comeback and Parker's unexpected retirement opened the door for the Eagles to do so.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Ross with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Ross was an All-American in his final college season at Washington and set the NFL Combine 40-yard dash record that held for seven years before Xavier Worthy topped it this March.

Injuries and lack of opportunity hampered Ross' rookie season and he only appeared in three games, failing to record a catch. He followed that with 10 starts in 13 games in 2018 but ended the season with 21 receptions for 210 yards, though he did score seven touchdowns.

Ross exploded in the first two games of the 2019 season, topping his yardage total from the previous two years combined with 270 yards on 11 receptions. He scored three touchdowns in those games. However, he missed eight games due to a shoulder injury and did not have another game with more than 42 receiving yards.

In 2020, Ross played in only three games and his trade request to the Bengals was not met. He became a free agent and signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants, with whom he hauled in 11 catches for 224 yards and one touchdown across 10 games in 2021.

After sitting out the 2022 season, he signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2023, only to retire six months later.

Eagles searching for third passing option

The Eagles expect to have one of the best offenses in football in 2024 and have the weapons to make that a reality. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith give Philly arguably the best pass-catching duo in the NFL. The addition of Saquon Barkley should provide the Eagles with a well-balanced attack.

While having three All-Pro caliber skill players on offense is a luxury few teams have, the Eagles need more viable options if they want to pose a serious threat to the rest of the league.

Dallas Goedert is among the best tight ends in the league when healthy, but he's missed time over the last two seasons. Other wide receiver options on the roster include Parris Campbell and a pair of rookie draft picks in Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson.

John Ross should get an opportunity to carve out a role, but Philly would probably prefer seeing one of those two rookies break out during training camp.

There will be some more roster changes before camp opens in July, but the Eagles are giving themselves options when it comes to rounding out the offense. Ross making a complete comeback and being in the huddle for an NFL game in 2024 would be a great story to follow.