Zac Taylor expects John Ross to return this week

Coming off of their first win of the season, the Bengals should be getting healthier for the final four games of the season.

This week is the first week that John Ross III can return to the Bengals active roster after being cleared for practice three weeks ago. And according to head coach Zac Taylor, he expects Ross to be ready play this week against the Browns

Ross has missed the last eight weeks after being placed on the Reserve/Injured list with a shoulder injury following the Bengals’ Week 4 loss to the Steelers. In the first four games, Ross had accumulated 328 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 16 receptions. He was tied for eighth in the NFL in receiving yards for wide receivers after four games.

With Ross coming back, this likely means a reduced role for Alex Erickson, who has been starting alongside Tyler Boyd and Auden Tate. The addition of Ross should give the Bengals a needed vertical presence in their final four games, especially if A.J. Green ends up not playing at all this season.