Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross exits training camp practice on cart
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross exited training camp practice early on Tuesday, taking a cart off of the field as trainers examined his left leg, according to Alex Gold. Ross was reportedly able to walk to the cart under his own power.
It’s a worrying sight for Chiefs fans after the second-year receiver just made a healthy return from injury.
Ross hauled in his first touchdown of the 2023 season on Sunday off a pass from quarterback Shane Buechele. His 15-yard score capped off a five-play, 54-yard drive and cut the Saints’ lead to 17-13.
“I want to take a look at the tape,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said after the game. “In general, I thought the guys did a decent job in there. I know he had the touchdown — and that was a good play. As a whole, I’ve got to see all the work that he did.”
Signed last offseason as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson, Ross missed the entirety of the 2022 campaign after undergoing foot surgery. Also, while at Clemson, a back/neck problem curtailed his career and forced him to miss the 2020 season. He needed surgery to correct a congenital back condition called Klippel-Feil syndrome.
Ross makes strides after ‘redshirt’ rookie year
Ross is looking to make the 53-man roster of the reigning Super Bowl champions, and has been a standout through training camp thus far.
“Just to take advantage of the opportunity. You never know what the future may bring,” Ross told reporters last week. “But right now, I’m just taking it day-by-day, step-by-step, really.”
Andy Reid said that Ross has done a “nice job,” and complimented his mindset in becoming a better overall receiver.
“Yeah, he’s doing good. It was a redshirt year he probably didn’t want to have right with the injury,” Reid said. “But he’s done a nice job. He had a good offseason, and then he’s worked his tail off here. He just needs to keep doing that. It’s how you answer the bell every day and push through it, but he’s got the right mindset to do that.”
Ross showed exceptional promise as a freshman for the Clemson Tigers before injuries began putting hurdles in his way. He caught 46 passes for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018. In the postseason, he caught six passes for 148 yards and two long touchdowns in a semifinal rout of Notre Dame. In Clemson’s national title win over Alabama, Ross caught six passes from Trevor Lawrence for 153 yards and a score.
On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this report.