Don’t underestimate the mystery squad. According to prominent NFL source Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Calvin Ridley has signed with the Tennessee Titans instead of the Jacksonville Jaguars or New England Patriots after supposedly deliberating over a free agent decision for several days. Over the term of the contract, Ridley will receive $92 million, of which $50 million is guaranteed in full.
Given that Jacksonville and New England were the two main contenders for Ridley’s services from the beginning of the permissible tampering period, this is a somewhat surprising turn of events. Nevertheless, Jones did mention on Tuesday that a dark horse might be there in this race. In the end, that turned out to be Tennessee.
This move now ends Ridley’s two-year stint with the Jaguars. While he was technically with the team for two years, the wideout was still serving his suspension for violating the gambling policy when Jacksonville traded for him in a deal with the in the middle of the 2022 season. Upon reinstatement, Ridley played all 17 games for the Jags in 2023, catching 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns.
The 29-year-old entered the league as a first-round pick of the Falcons in 2018 out of Alabama and was establishing himself as one of the top receivers in the league after the 2020 campaign where he caught 90 balls for 1,374 yards. However, Ridley did step away from football for mental health reasons in the middle of the 2021 season and then was suspended for the following year in March of 2022 for gambling violations, which put a dent in his upward trajectory. After a rebuilding year with the Jaguars, Ridley now makes his move to Tennessee, where he will be a part of an offensive line that includes wideouts Kyle Philips and Treylon Burks in addition to star DeAndre Hopkins. The Titans, who also added Tony Pollard, a former running back for the Cowboys, have been active participants in the free-agent market at the skill positions. All of these actions ought to assist Brian Callahan, the team’s first-year head coach, in positioning quarterback Will Levis for success in Year 2.
