Chiefs take swing on ex-Clemson star as UDFA signing

Former Clemson star wide receiver Justyn Ross will reportedly sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.

After going undrafted, the Kansas City Chiefs are the team that will be giving former Clemson wideout Justyn Ross a chance at playing in the league.

Adam Teicher of ESPN reported Kansas City is signing the former Tigers’ star wide receiver. Had Ross been draft-eligible after his sophomore season, he so would have been a first-round lock. However, a spinal condition derailed his once-promising playing career. It led to him missing all of the 2020 campaign because of it. While Ross returned to the field last year, so much has changed.

Although the gamble is obvious with Ross, the upside is that of getting a first-rounder for cheap.

Kansas City Chiefs take a chance on former Clemson WR Justyn Ross as an UDFA

The Chiefs traded away their former No. 1 receiver in Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins during NFL free agency. The exploding wide receiver market proved too costly for the Chiefs to retain him. Instead, they were able to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling this offseason. After adding Skyy Moore in the NFL Draft, it serves the Chiefs to take a flier on a player like Ross.

If Ross is able to somehow return to pre-condition form, the Chiefs just won the wide receiver lottery. However, the prospect of him suffering a career-ending injury on their team could have frightening consequences. Anything that involves a spine is usually a red flag for every NFL team, which is why he went undrafted. With that in mind, all it takes is for one team to take a chance.

Ultimately, signing Ross is a high risk, high reward sort of proposition, even if he is coming aboard as an undrafted free agent. While the Chiefs are getting maybe the most talented wide receiver to ever play at Clemson, his medical records suggest he is not even going to be a third of the always-injured Sammy Watkins. Here is to Ross proving everyone wrong. We are pulling so hard for him.

When every team could have had Ross, it was the Chiefs who came knocking with an opportunity.