John Ross Signs Eagles Contract Amid NFL Comeback Bid; Former 1st-Round Draft Pick

In the wake of DeVante Parker's surprising decision to retire, the Philadelphia Eagles have convinced former first-round draft pick John Ross to end his retirement to compete for a roster spot in 2024.

The Eagles announced on Thursday they signed Ross to a one-year deal.

Parker became a free agent in March after being released by the New England Patriots. He signed a one-year deal with the Eagles a short time later. The 31-year-old was expected to compete for the No. 3 receiver role behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

As the Eagles were preparing to start organized team activities this week, Parker told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday he was retiring to spend more time with his family.

Ross signed a reserve/future contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2023, but he informed the club prior to the start of training camp last year that he was retiring.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported on April 28 that Ross was going to take part in rookie minicamp with the Eagles as part of his attempt to return to the NFL.

Things appeared to go well for Ross, who parlayed that into a deal with Philadelphia. He will now have the opportunity to compete for snaps behind Brown and Smith on the Eagles' depth chart.

The 28-year-old held the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine when he ran it in 4.22 seconds in 2017. His record stood for seven years until when Xavier Worthy ran it in 4.21 seconds in March.

Ross was the ninth overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 draft. He spent four seasons with the team before signing with the New York Giants as a free agent in March 2021.

The 2016 Pac-12 Player of the Year at Washington, Ross struggled to find his footing in the NFL. He has 957 yards and 11 touchdowns in 37 career games. His last appearance in an NFL game was for the Giants on Dec. 12, 2021.