Eagles' speedy WR John Ross might not get his training camp happy ending

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver John Ross might not get the happy ending to NFL training camp that he and many fans are hoping for. 

NBC Sports' Dave Zangaro listed 15 players that are entering camp on the roster bubble and Ross is unfortunately one of them. 

"The former first-round pick is a great story," Zangaro said. "Ross hasn’t played in the NFL since 2021 and even officially retired but he started his comeback on a tryout basis with the Eagles in rookie camp and earned a roster spot. The speedster might be a long shot but the Eagles don’t have great depth at receiver either. So maybe Ross can resurrect his career at age 28."

Ross, a former ninth-overall draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, initially announced his retirement from the NFL in July of 2023.

His decision to step away from football early was in part because his career never took off as expected due to various injuries. 

But fast forward to May 2024, Ross decided to give the whole football thing another shot and signed a one-year deal with Philly. 

Ross Lit Up OTA Workouts

Ross, 28, had to tryout at the Eagles' rookie minicamp in May before he was offered a contract.

He admitted that it was a humbling experience working out with a handful of recently drafted players as a former seven-year NFL veteran, though he kept a positive mindset. 

After all, he didn't have a choice.

"You look at it like this,” Ross said. “In my situation, I was a top 10 draft pick and we all talk about it all the time. ‘If we ever get to the point where we have to try out, then we’ll be done.’ But then you get to that point and you don’t have no other choice. When I got the opportunity, I was probably the happiest person on Earth. Me and my son, just sitting there, I was just thankful and grateful. 

"When I got here, I was happy to be here. It wasn’t a rookie minicamp, I was looking at it this way. It was an opportunity for me to play football again. It could have been an Eagles Canadian tryout, I would have been there happy, willing and able.

Ross' chances of making it through final roster cuts might be slim, but it helps that the Eagles are in search of a slot receiver and don't have many candidates to choose from. 

It also helps that Ross showed that his 4.2 speed is still intact and that he had solid OTA and mandatory minicamp performances.