The Jacksonville Jaguars losing Calvin Ridley to the Tennessee Titans was one of the offseason's biggest surprises. Ridley only played one year with Jacksonville, after he was coming off a one-year suspension by the NFL for gambling.
Essentially, the Jaguars got Ridley's "ramp-up" year before losing him to their AFC South rivals in free agency. The early reviews from Tennessee have been nothing but positive, as head coach Brian Callahan has even poured some salt in the wounds of the Jaguars losing Ridley.
"I believe in everything he's about; he's a pro's pro and he's got real talent," Callahan said on "The Adam Schefter Podcast" this week. "He's one of the better route runners I've ever been around. He's really sudden, really fast, really explosive. On top of it, he's a great personality.
"To have him here and be able to steal him from a division rival makes it a little sweeter in that regard. I love having Calvin and I think he's really gonna help us."
Ridley did have a 1,000-yard season with the Jaguars in his first season back from suspension, finishing with 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns (13.4 yards per catch). He was tied for eighth in touchdown catches, but tied for 29th in receptions and 25th in receiving yards. He fared very well against the TItans last season, finishing with 13 catches for 209 yards and three touchdowns in the two games played against them.
The Jaguars didn't decide to up Tennessee's four-year, $92 million deal for Ridley, which included $46.9 million in fully guaranteed money. Jacksonville pivoted from Ridley by signing Gabe Davis and drafting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round to pair with Christian Kirk and Evan Engram.
The Titans are banking on Ridley being the No. 1 wide receiver in their offense, and getting back to the player who had 1,374 receiving yards in 2020. The Jaguars never got that version of Ridley, despite parting with a 2023 fifth-round pick and 2024 third-round pick for a suspended Ridley in 2022.
Ridley's signing just makes the Jaguars-Titans rivalry even more intriguing.
