Calvin Ridley parlays career-reviving season into mega contract with Titans

The Jacksonville Jaguars bet on Calvin Ridley during the 2022 trade deadline, acquiring the 29-year-old wideout for a 2024 third-round pick with an eye toward making him their No. 1 receiver in 2023.

The move paid off for both sides as Ridley not only led the Jags in receiving this past season, but revived his career after sitting out the 2022 season while serving a gambling-related suspension, earning a mega contract in the process.

Ridley is signing a four-year deal with the Tennessee Titans worth a reported $92 million with $50M guaranteed, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal makes him the ninth-highest paid receiver in the NFL in terms of annual salary ($23M per year).

Several reports Wednesday morning indicated that the Jaguars and New England Patriots were the front-runners to land the former first-round pick and his signing with Tennessee seemingly came out of left field.

The move reunites Ridley with newly hired Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz, who served as the Jaguars passing game coordinator last season.

Considered the top receiver in the 2024 free-agent class, Ridley had the second-best season of his career in Jacksonville during the 2023 campaign, logging 76 receptions on 136 targets for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games.

Ridley’s game stands out because of his ability to create separation – he has an 80.4% success rate against zone coverage and 71.9% success rate against man coverage, per Matt Harmon of Yahoo Sports – as well as his route-running savvy and his big-play potential.