Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross is retiring from the NFL, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.

Ross, who was the 9th overall selection in the 2017 NFL draft, still holds the record of being the fastest-recorded player at the NFL Combine, had been in training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs.

 

Ross, who was drafted out of the University of Washington, had his career marred by injuries and bad luck since entering the league in 2017, where he barely saw the field as a rookie. Ross suffered just about every injury imaginable throughout his career, including hamstring, shoulder, and foot injuries that cost him multiple games throughout his brief career.

In 2018, Ross had arguably the best season of his career, scoring 7 touchdowns on just 21 receptions. Ross last appeared in 2021 with the New York Giants, recording 11 catches for 224 yards over the course of the season.

Ross had been in training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs, who are losing receivers quickly after Kadarius Toney injured his knee and underwent surgery.

The former 9th overall pick was taken one selection ahead of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who went with the 10th selection. The Bengals weren't in the market for a quarterback at the time, opting instead to build around Andy Dalton.

Ross was the third receiver selected in the 2017 draft, shortly after Corey Davis and Mike Williams, and is the first player selected in the top-10 of his draft class to retire.

Ross's record 4.22 40-yard-dash time at the NFL Combine broke the previous record set by former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, who ran a 4.24 in 2008.

John Ross will finish his career with 62 receptions for 957 yards and 11 touchdowns.