A lot has changed for Calvin Ridley since the last time he suited up for an NFL game in Week 7 of the 2021 season.
Ridley is no longer a member of the Falcons, as he was dealt to the Jaguars before the 2022 NFL trade deadline. He also became the first NFL player to officially announce that he would wear zero as his jersey number since the league made that an option during the 2023 offseason.
But even despite Ridley's long-term hiatus due to a gambling suspension, he expressed confidence that he is getting back to peak form as he shakes off the rust at Jacksonville's training camp.
"I'm him," Ridley told reporters after practice on Thursday, per ESPN. "I'm Calvin Ridley. Yes, sir. ... Still getting better, but, nah man, I haven't lost a step.
"You can ask anyone that's around here."
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It certainly appears that Ridley's statement is an accurate one. In the few training camp highlights that have circulated through two days of action, his quickness and route-running skills were on display as the Jaguars worked through some key drills.
Notably, Ridley's foot quickness compared well to that of Zay Jones during a drill on Wednesday.
Route-work
— Jamal St. Cyr (@JStCyrTV) July 26, 2023
Doug Pederson standing right at the end of the route. pic.twitter.com/Yiy1tmMD8C
And after Thursday's practice, Ridley was praised effusively by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who seems likely to utilize the former Falcon as his No. 1 receiver.
"Just watching him [and] the way he runs, there are not many guys like that, especially in and out of his breaks," Lawrence said of Ridley. "He's just really crafty, has great ball skills, and you haven't even seen it yet because we're not in pads and we're not full contact, but I think after the catch he's really good too."
Lawrence added that he believed Ridley had taken a step forward since his early performance with the team during some of its string workouts.
"In spring we were still kind of working him in so we didn't get a ton of reps," the quarterback explained. "So now that we're at camp, we're full go. I'm excited just to continue to build on that."
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Of course, that process won't necessarily be easy. Ridley will go 23 months between playing in NFL games, so it may take him time to adapt to full game speed even as he sees more reps during training camp.
However, Ridley thinks things could be a bit easier for him in 2023 than in previous years. Why? Because he believes that opposing defenses will be more worried about the Jaguars' other weapons — as opposed to him — early in the season because he hasn't played in so long.
Ridley is also planning to embellish just how hard it might be for him to return to the game, whether that's limping or performing poorly in front of his opponents during pregame warm-ups.
"Don't watch me," he joked. "Don't worry about me. I haven't played in two years. Just worry about them.
"... Maybe drop some passes or just look real bad and maybe they'll give me some room. But of course I want them to forget me. I want them to forget for sure."
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Ridley may want to be forgotten by his peers, but that doesn't mean he wants to be forgotten entirely. He is looking forward to returning to the field in actual game action, as he told The Athletic on Wednesday.
"I want to get back to doing what I do, because I love football," Ridley said "I just want my reputation and my name back. That’s what I’m here to do."
