Will Neck Concerns Keep Justyn Ross Out of the NFL?

Kansas City Chiefs wideout Justyn Ross lit up social media this week with a deep catch on a delivery from Patrick Mahomes at OTAs. 

Unfortunately for Ross, it’s unlikely he will be medically cleared to catch passes from Mahomes during the regular season, according to the Pro Football Docs.

The 23-year-old wide receiver out of Clemson required a multi-level spine fusion while in college to address a congenital neck issue and went undrafted in the 2022 draft because of that issue.

Talent is not the problem for Ross, it’s the risk of paralysis from being hit the wrong way.

While that risk is low, it’s not zero and any team would be taking a risk to clear him for contact in the NFL. 

In his career as an NFL head team physician, Dr. David Chao returned multiple players after single-level spine fusions. However, he never cleared a player who had a multi-level spine fusion because of the risk of paralysis.

It’s possible Ross signs a waiver that leaves a team without liability if that worst case scenario occurs, but that would be a rare occurrence in the NFL.

Ross played in college after the surgery, but the NFL and its insurance coverage are a different matter.

He is reportedly back at 100% from foot surgery that knocked him out during OTAs last season, but the foot was never the main concern.

Justyn Ross’ Fantasy Value

Ross had an elite freshman season while receiving passes from current Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. In 14 games, he caught 46 passes for a total of 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Those were better numbers than teammates Tee Higgins, Amari Rodgers and Hunter Renfrow.

In his final season in school, he racked up 46 catches for 514 yards and 3 touchdowns in 10 games before suffering a stress fracture in his left foot.

There’s no doubt he belongs on the practice field alongside names like Richie James, Justin Watson and Rashee Rice, but getting cleared for contact and risking serious spine injury is another matter.

Unfortunately, Ross isn’t worth looking at in fantasy drafts – even in best ball formats – until we hear that his neck is no longer a concern.

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