What Titans WR Core Looks Like Without Calvin Ridley

To put it lightly, the Tennessee Titans' experiment with WR Calvin Ridley has been a disaster. Other than two big catches in the team's only win of the year, Ridley hasn't played nearly to the level this team needs him to. Now, he was ruled out of the team's October 19 game against the New England Patriots, one that has quite a few emotions attached to it.

What Titans Look Like Without Ridley

Without Ridley, QB Cam Ward's options are slim. Rookie WR Elic Ayomanor has been his safety blanket, but he's going to need more than a 22-year-old to dig him out of this role. TE Chig Ononkwo remains solid, but there's only so much those two will be able to do against the Patriots.

With ex-Titans HC Mike Vrabel returning to town, this is a statement game for both teams. Vrabel is looking to prove the Titans should've never fired him, something that's been made abundantly clear as the Patriots are off to a 4-2 start. With emotions running high, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Patriots run up the score.

The question is, who does Ward have to rely on? WRs Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson have done little to nothing, so it might be time for WR Chimere Dike to step up. Dike, who was selected in the fourth round with Ayomanor, leads the NFL in all-purpose yards. His kick and punt returns have taken the league by storm, but he's yet to do anything important as a wide receiver.

Titans WR depth chart without Ridley:

Elic Ayomanor
Van Jefferson
Tyler Lockett https://t.co/AcyKe5YgBz
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 17, 2025

In fact, even with his disappointing season, Ridley makes up for over 26% of this team's receiving yards. His 290 lead the way, even though he's only hauled in 16 of 35 targets. Ayomanor's 34 targets are good for second while Okonkwo is third at 30. Other than those three, no one has more than 19 targets.

The man with 19 targets is Lockett, the first-year Titans player. After spending 10 years in Seattle, Lockett has done absolutely nothing in Tennessee. He's hauled in eight of those 19 targets for 52 yards. Against the Cardinals, Ridley finished with 20 fewer yards than Lockett and Jefferson have this entire season.

RB Tony Pollard has 11 receptions for 99 yards while RB Tyjae Spears has caught all four of his first targets for 19 yards. Involving the running backs in the passing game will be crucial, as are both of the tight ends. TE Gunnar Helm has 13 receptions for 113 yards, a number that will continue to rise with Ridley on the sideline.

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