Mike Evans' return to Tampa and the Colts' decision to place their franchise tag on Michael Pittman Jr. left Calvin Ridley as one of the top wide receivers on the open market. The former first-round pick is now cashing in.
Ridley agreed to a deal with the Titans, latching on in Tennessee after a 1,000-yard season in Jacksonville. Reports had indicated that Ridley's market was down to either the Patriots or the Jaguars, but it's the Titans who swooped in and convinced the 29-year-old to switch sides in the AFC South.
The Jaguars traded for Ridley ahead of the 2022 deadline, when the Alabama product was serving a season-long gambling suspension with the Falcons. He played one season in Jacksonville, becoming a top target for Trevor Lawrence but struggling to emerge as the clear-cut No. 1 receiver some envisioned when the deal went down.
While Ridley was drafted just six years ago, his age was working against him in free agency. Ridley is set to turn 30 late in the 2024 season, so his upside is likely not quite as high as other free-agent receivers such as Marquise Brown, 26, or Gabe Davis, 24. Still, Ridley lands a multi-year deal early in free agency.
Here are the details on Ridley's free-agent deal with the Titans.
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Calvin Ridley contract details
Ridley agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract with the Titans, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Preseason reports raved about the connection between Lawrence and Ridley in 2023, but the result fell a bit short of expectations in a Jaguars season that ended in disappointment.
Ridley totaled 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 13.4 yards per reception in a decline from his career 2020 season with the Falcons. He posted a catch rate of just 55.9 percent, easily the lowest mark of his career.
When he did catch the ball, however, Ridley was largely productive. He also has four seasons of at least seven touchdowns, so his knack for finding the end zone was likely appealing in free agency.
This is likely Ridley's final opportunity to truly cash in, and he'll spend 2024 and beyond looking to prove his worth in Tennessee.
MORE: Grading the Jaguars' trade for Mac Jones
Calvin Ridley stats
| Season | Team | Games | Rec | Yards | TD | Y/R |
| 2018 | Falcons | 16 | 64 | 821 | 10 | 12.8 |
| 2019 | Falcons | 13 | 63 | 866 | 7 | 13.7 |
| 2020 | Falcons | 15 | 90 | 1,374 | 9 | 15.3 |
| 2021 | Falcons | 5 | 31 | 281 | 2 | 9.1 |
| 2023 | Jaguars | 17 | 76 | 1,016 | 8 | 13.4 |
| Total | 66 | 324 | 4,358 | 36 | 13.5 |
Ridley exploded for 10 touchdowns as a rookie in Atlanta, but he didn't cross 1,000 yards in a season until he racked up 1,374 in 2020.
That momentum was derailed in 2021 when Ridley spent a portion of the season away from the Falcons for personal reasons, and his season-long gambling suspension in '22 actually pushed the final year of his rookie contract to '23.
Calvin Ridley fantasy outlook 2024
We've seen plenty of notable WRs go to Tennessee over the past several seasons (Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins), and the results have been disappointing. Of course, that was with a run-first regime on the sidelines. With former Bengals OC Brian Callahan now in charge, the Titans' offense should be much more receiver-friendly. That said, there are still major question marks at QB, with second-year man Will Levis taking over full-time. Ridley was wildly inconsistent and ultimately disappointed with Trevor Lawrence in 2023, so it's tough to imagine he'll break out in '24 while sharing the spotlight with Hopkins.
Still, Ridley is undeniably talented, and as long as he stays healthy, he should post WR3/flex-worthy numbers. Consistency could once again be an issue, but Ridley might actually be slightly undervalued in drafts given the general malaise that still hangs over all things Titans. — Matt Lutovsky
