The Cincinnati Bengals hope to have wide receiver John Ross on the field during the team’s Week 1 opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
That is as good as it gets with Ross, who has missed a large chunk of time with what was originally described as hamstring tightness.
Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer noted the Bengals shoved Ross’ expected return date back another week: “The Bengals and WR John Ross (hamstring) are targeting a Sunday return to the practice field.”
Zac Taylor had originally expected this Monday for Ross. Instead, the team’s official website has all but confirmed Ross won’t play at all this preseason.
This is another big blow for a Bengals offense that continues to have problems. Cordy Glenn is now dealing with an injury in the trenches, and A.J. Green is still a question mark for Week 1.
Ross isn’t necessarily tabbed for a major role with Green out, but the fact he’s not going to get any game reps in a new offense under a new staff — similar to his rookie year — doesn’t bode well for his long-term outlook. And the Bengals offense has suffered in the past without Ross on the field purely because defenses still have to accommodate for his speed.
