Russ returned to the pitch after undergoing therapy on 28 February 2017 in a DFB-Pokal quarter-final against Arminia Bielefeld, coming on in place of Aymen Barkok at the end of the 1–0 win at the Commerzbank Arena. In the next round on 25 April away to Borussia Mönchengladbach, he came on in extra time of the 1–1 draw and scored the shot that took the penalty shootout to sudden death, with his team prevailing. He was an unused substitute in the final, a loss by a single goal to Borussia Dortmund.