Cam Ward Becoming Besties With Titans WR

The Tennessee Titans are going into the season with a new quarterback in Cam Ward, but he needs to be comfortable with a new set of receivers to throw to.

One of those wide receivers Ward has to get on the same page with is Calvin Ridley, and the two have gotten along well during the offseason.

"No one who follows Tennessee disputes the fact Ridley is the clear No. 1 in the Titans' pecking order of veteran weapons. But this is Tennessee we're talking about. Pretty much everyone qualifies as a secret weapon given the low bar extended to this program," CBS Sports contributor Cody Benjamin wrote.

"Ward's got the live arm to feed the speedy wideout, who might have a chance to approach career numbers if he stays on the field. And Ridley, though aging, offers far more juice than any alternatives in the receiver room, including Tyler Lockett and journeyman Van Jefferson."

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley runs with the ball as Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Anthony Nelson tackles. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Ridley was the best receiver for the Titans last season, catching 64 passes for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns with Will Levis and Mason Rudolph throwing him the football.

Now that Ward has those responsibilities for the Titans, Ridley could have a higher ceiling.

The 30-year-old wideout signed a four-year, $92 million contract with the Titans in March 2024, leaving the AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars. He was signed on to be a key component of the Titans, but expectations dimmed in the first year of the deal.

Now that he's going into Year 2, he has spent a lot of time working with Ward throughout the offseason in hopes of having a better season than the previous one.

“That boy there: different," Ward said of Ridley last month h/t A to Z Sports insider Easton Freeze.

"How he moves, everything. Now that I see what a receiver's supposed to be like, that's why I'm glad like Elic (Ayomanor), Chim (Dike), (Xavier Restrepo), Bryce (Oliver), all the guys in our room, I'm glad they’ve got him because I ain't never threw to no receiver like him, that moves like him, can cut like him. And that boy he ain’t selfish either. Like he wants the rookies, all of us, he wants us to do better than him because he going to get his one-on-ones.”

Ridley's leadership should be a big factor in how well the Titans perform in the upcoming season.

Ridley and the Titans are back in action on Sept. 7 for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.

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