What is the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt List and why has Kansas City Chiefs’ Justyn Ross been placed on it?
While things may be going well for the Chiefs in terms of what they’re doing on the field, it appears that one of their players isn’t doing the same off it.
As a result of his designation, the Chiefs’ pass catcher now finds himself on the outside looking in. The questions that need answering now are how long will this situation last, and how will he and the team cope with it.
Chiefs’ Justyn Ross placed on Commissioner Exempt List after arrest
According to NFL Media, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross was placed on the Commissioner Exempt List by the league on Friday, a decision that follows Ross’ arrest on Monday. To be clear, as a result of Ross’ status, he will be unable to practice or attend games.
For the purpose of context, the 23-year-old was - as stated above - detained on Monday on two misdemeanor charges of criminal damage of less than $1,000, and domestic battery according to reports at the time. It is understood, that Ross pleaded not guilty to both charges during his arraignment which occurred on Tuesday, and was released on a $2,500 bond on the condition that he has no contact with the accuser or any witnesses. The Clemson product has a court date set for Monday, December 4th, the day after the Chiefs meet the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
What is the Commissioner Exempt List?
As explained in the NFL Player Personal Conduct Policy, the details of the list are as follows:
“The Exempt List is a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances. The List includes those players who have been declared by the Commissioner to be temporarily exempt from counting within the Active List limit. Only the Commissioner has the authority to place a player on the Exempt List; clubs have no such authority, and no exemption, regardless of circumstances, is automatic. The Commissioner also has the authority to determine in advance whether a player’s time on the Exempt List will be finite or will continue until the Commissioner deems the exemption should be lifted and the player returned to the Active List.”
What have the Kansas City Chiefs said?
Where the franchise itself is concerned, Ross’ situation was acknowledged but no comment was given. That being said, head coach Andy Reid disclosed that the team was still in the process of gathering information. “With Justyn Ross, just addressing that up front, we’re taking in all the information, and have been. We’ll continue to do that. He’s back here. He’ll work today and we’ll just take it from there. Other than that I don’t really have any information for you other than what we’ve gathered,” Reid said.
Justyn Ross at a glance
In his first year in the NFL, Ross has caught three passes so far for a total of 34 yards in the seven games that he has played. His most recent appearance was Sunday’s 31-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in which he saw a quarter of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps, however, he was not targeted by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Acquired out of Clemson in 2022 as an undrafted free agent, Ross impressed during rookie training camp but has yet to live up to the potential that he appears to possess.