An underrated storyline for the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason is what is happening in the receiver room. While the Chiefs enjoyed a strong rookie season from Xavier Worthy, the rest of the group left a lot to be desired as Marquise “Hollywood" Brown and Rashee Rice suffered significant injuries and the addition of DeAndre Hopkins resulted in a disappointing return.
The Chiefs made an investment toward the position by selecting Jalen Royals in the fourth round of April’s draft, but not everyone can make the final 53-man roster. With teams needing to cut down to 90 players ahead of training camp, a fan favorite may have run out of chances and could be off the roster by the time the calendar turns to July.
Justyn Ross May Be Running Out of Chances During OTAs
Justyn Ross was one of the most intriguing pickups as part of the 2022 UDFA class. A star with the Clemson Tigers’ 2018 national championship team, Ross broke out with 46 catches for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in his freshman season before catching 66 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018.
But Ross suffered a hit during spring practice in 2020 that required congenital fusion spinal surgery. After missing the entire season, Ross returned in 2021 but went undrafted the following spring before signing with Kansas City.
The potential has always been there for a player that is 6-foot-3, 205 pounds and was projected as a top-15 prospect by ESPN’s Todd McShay before the injury. But that upside hasn’t materialized as Ross has bounced back-and-forth between the active roster and the Chiefs practice squad.
Ross has been in Kansas City for three seasons but has played in just 12 games. His most extensive playing time came in 2023 when he caught six passes for 53 yards but only played in two games with one target last season. Chiefs fans know what Ross can do when healthy, but he hasn’t been healthy enough to contribute in a loaded offense.
Rice was having a strong start to his sophomore season with 24 catches, 288 yards and two touchdowns in four games before he was taken out on a block by Patrick Mahomes. Worthy remains a starter with high expectations after finishing second on the team with 59 receptions and 638 receiving yards and a team-high six touchdowns. Brown’s return should occupy the other starting spot and Jalen Royals and JuJu Smith-Schuster have the inside track to the final two roster spots.
The Chiefs could keep Ross through training camp and keep him on the practice squad. But it’s fair to wonder how many chances he’ll get at age 25. As disappointing as it is, Ross may not be able to be a contributor at the NFL level and it could have him looking for a new team by the time OTAs conclude.