Titans WR Struggles Again vs. Colts

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is disappointed after another struggling game to start the season.

Ridley caught just one of his seven targets for 27 yards in the team's 41-20 loss against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3. Titans head coach Brian Callahan addressed Ridley's early-season struggles after the game.

"I'm not going to stop relying on him. He's got to help us. He's got to do his part. We're going to keep throwing the ball to him. He's going to keep being put in position to make plays. It's the same thing when a guy doesn't perform his best, they've got to find a way to pull themselves out of it, and we've got to find a way to help him," Callahan said postgame.

"At the end of the day, I know he's still a good player, and we're still going to need him. If we're going to claw our way out of the spot that we're in, we're going to need everybody in there to do it. Calvin's going to be a big part of that. He's got to find a way to get his confidence back up and perform. Certainly, never going to shy away. He's a big part of our offense, and we need him."

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley takes the field before the game against the Los Angeles Rams. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ridley has just eight receptions for 111 yards through three games, which is far less than the pace he set last season. In 2024, Ridley was the only Titans receiver to record over 1,000 yards, making him a key part of the offense and a valuable player for No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.

Even though he is struggling, the Titans still plan to keep him as a focal point in the offense.

"You've got to keep coming to him. You've got to keep throwing the ball. The hard part is these things don't show up sometimes in practice. All of a sudden in a game it's a problem. You've got to keep working. It's like a hitter in a slump," Callahan said of Ridley.

"He's in a bit of one right now, and he's got to find a way to get out of it. Whatever that is, extra time after practice, whether it's making sure he's catching balls on the jugs, all those things are all a part of it. A lot of times it's an individual effort, but I still believe in Calvin. That's part of it, too. He's got to feel that the guys believe in him, the quarterback believes in him, and we've got to keep working to go back to him, and he's got to come do his part."

With two rookie wide receivers showing more promise every week, there has to be a time where the Titans consider going to Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike before Ridley. Ayomanor has a touchdown in each of the last two games while Dike has scored in Weeks 2 and 3, but each play was called back.

Eventually, Ayomanor or Dike could become that top receiver instead of Ridley, so the Titans need to find that balance if they want to start winning football games.

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