The Cincinnati Bengals have run into a bit of bad news recently and it has to do with recent first round NFL Draft pick, wide receiver John Ross.
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Josh Alper of NBC Sports is passing on reporting from Ian Rapoport that Ross is expected to miss the Bengals' first two games of the 2017 season.
Alper, himself, also passes on some context regarding Ross and his already somewhat troublesome injury history in the NFL. This, despite the fact that he hasn't played a single official snap in the league just yet. This from Alper:
Even if Ross does get back at that point, his extended absence in the spring and summer while recovering from shoulder surgery leaves him with some catching up to do and, perhaps, lowered expectations for what he'll be able to provide the offense this year.
The good news for both Ross and the Bengals is that the injury to his knee could have been a lot worse. Keep in mind, he tore the very same ACL in 2015, causing him to miss Washington's full 2015 season. The college injury came just a few months after he had surgery to repair two meniscus tears in his right knee, so it has been an injury that has hampered him for quite some time.
Still, Cincinnati obviously saw enough in him to draft him with the No. 9 pick of the 2017 NFL draft, and there is a reason why.
As a junior at Washington, Ross caught 81 passes for 1,150 yards and 22 touchdowns. He then went on to run a 4.22 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, which was the fastest the event has ever seen.
Ross heads into his rookie season as the fastest player in the league. Injury history aside, once he hits the field for Cincinnati he's expected to be a big-time impact player.
