The Cincinnati Bengals were already likely set to move on from former first-round pick John Ross once he hit free agency following the 2020 season. That might now be expedited given the news we’re hearing from Cincinnati on Tuesday.
According to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, Ross wants out of dodge ahead of the Nov. 3 NFL trade deadline.
Cincinnati Bengals news: John Ross requests a trade
We could see this coming a mile away. A top-10 pick of the Bengals back in 2017, Ross has suited up in just three games this season to injury.
He’s caught all of two passes for 17 yards during that span and played in just one offensive snap last week against the Indianapolis Colts.
Ross, 25, has seen his career defined by injuries more than anything. In fact, he’s missed 27 of a possible 54 games. For those who are not good at math, that’s half of the Bengals’ outings.
Led by rookie No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, it looks like Cincinnati has also moved on from Ross as a key component on offense.
Cincinnati Bengals depth chart at wide receiver
Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green are the team’s two starters with rookie Tee Higgins having played a lot over the first six games of the season.
Boyd has caught 37-of-48 targets for 416 yards for the Bengals. Meanwhile, Higgins has performed well in Cincinnati as a rookie. He’s caught 22 passes for 339 yards.
While Green has not found a connection with Burrow thus far this season with the Bengals, they placed the franchise tag on him and are unlikely to be able to move the veteran ahead of the trade deadline.
What might a Bengals trade of John Ross look like?
At this point, Cincinnati is highly unlikely to get anything more than a conditional late-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft for the former first-round bust.
With that said, there might be some upside for a contending team. Prior to suffering a season-ending injury in 2019, Ross caught 28 passes for 506 yards in eight games.