Bengals Declining John Ross' Fifth-Year Option
5 years agoThe Cincinnati Bengals have informed wide receiver John Ross III that they are declining his fifth-year option, according to a source. Ross will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2020 season. The Bengals took the 25-year-old with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft mainly because of his blazing speed. Ross is still fast, but he's had trouble staying on the field because of injuries, playing in 24 games with 19 starts in his first three seasons. He certainly has breakaway speed and field-stretching ability, but he's been wildly inconsistent, catching 49 passes for 716 yards and 10 touchdowns since '17. He could face competition from rookie Tee Higgins in 2020, too, behind A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd. It makes Ross a dart throw with upside late in drafts with non-PPR scoring.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter