Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross missed the final games of his time at Clemson because of a foot injury and was shut down for his rookie season last July to have more surgery, so the first padded practice of this year’s camp was a big deal.
Ross took his first hit in almost two years from safety Justin Reid during that session and said it “was beautiful” to get back to that point. Based on reviews of Ross’ work from head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, there may be more hits in his future.
Reid said Ross has “done a nice job” and that he has the “right mindset” to keep doing that on a consistent basis. Mahomes said that Ross is seeing more time with the first string because of how well he’s been doing.
“He’s learning the offense fast,” Mahomes said, via Nate Taylor of TheAthletic.com. “He’s obviously making big plays, and he’s getting more and more involved in those first-team reps. He’s a guy that I hope can be a really good player in this offense.”
Ross also had back surgery while at Clemson and his injury history helped lead to him getting passed over in the 2022 draft, so Ross will need to continue to show he can both stay productive and healthy a while longer before offseason talk will turn into something more meaningful.