Calvin Ridley Leaves Jaguars, Signs With Titans
The Jacksonville Jaguars just suffered a major blow, and an AFC South rival just got better.
Star wide receiver Calvin Ridley opted to sign with the Tennessee Titans over the Jaguars on Wednesday, just an hour after the new league year began.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Ridley signed a four-year, $92 million deal with $50 million in guarantees. The signing makes Ridley the No. 9 wide receiver in average annual value and the No. 10 wide receiver in overall guaranteed money.
The Jaguars were never set to sign Ridley before the start of the league year due to the conditions of their trade with the Atlanta Falcons, making it possible for teams like the Titans and New England Patriots to negotiate with Ridley.
“Well, we’re not real concerned with that, whether it’s a second or third round. We’re just going to work with the player and see if we can come to an agreement whether that’s before that compensation changes or not, that remains to be the same. We’re more focused on the player," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said at the NFL Scouting Combine last month.
“Yeah, we’re going to continue to have conversations with all of it. We’ve got a lot of work to do this offseason. I had a meeting with Calvin [Ridley] the other day in my office. I had a great talk with Calvin, I know exactly where he’s at and he knows exactly where we’re at. We’re just going to continue to work with all of these players and try to come to some form of compromise, some form of resolution as the weeks go on.”
Ridley recorded the second 1,000-yard season in his career in 2023, catching 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. He also made it through the entire season healthy, starting all 17 games after serving a season-long suspension in 2022 and missing most of the 2021 season.
Ultimately, the Jaguars traded a fifth-round and a third-round pick for one season of Ridley. Now, they will march forward with a wide receiver room consisting of Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, Zay Jones, Devin Duvernay, Parker Washington, Tim Jones, and Elijah Cooks.
