When the Tennessee Titans signed Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract, they took a larger gamble than NFL teams often take in these deals. Yes, keyword: gamble. The deal not only put pressure on the front office, but also landed it directly on the shoulders of the star wideout as the Titans’ player under the most pressure for the 2024 season.
Count the red flags in this history recap. Ridley is with his third team in what will be his sixth on-field NFL season. One. He missed the 2022 campaign because he violated the league’s gambling policy. Two. He’s no spring chicken by NFL standards as he will turn 30 before the season ends. Three. Yes, he scored 10 touchdowns as a rookie (first-round pick by the Falcons in 2018) but has only one second-team All-Pro season as he racked up 1,374 yards and nine scores in 2020. Four.
That’s a bunch of red flags for a $92 million man. He may eventually prove he’s worth that money, but it doesn’t look like he’s shown that kind of value in his career.
Titans’ WR Calvin Ridley carries a load of expectations
When a player arrives with a new team and a fat contract, usually the team will shower him with opportunities to show why they backed up the armored truck to his bank. But that’s a little bit complicated in Nashville because DeAndre Hopkins remains on the team.
Granted, Hopkins hasn’t enjoyed the greatest quarterback situations in recent seasons. But his track record includes three first-team All-Pro honors, two second-team awards, and twice finished in the top five of the AP offensive player of the year voting.
Hopkins is three years removed from a 115-catch, 1,407-yard season, and he caught 75 balls for 1,057 yards in 2023. Quite simply, NFL coaches want to win. And if the best way to victory goes through more targets for Hopkins than for Ridley, then that’s what will happen.
In other words, Ridley better become a favorite of young starting quarterback Will Levis in a hurry. Levis already knows Hopkins, so Ridley has catch-up work to do. Pro Football Focus lists Hopkins at No. 17 in its top 32 wide receiver rankings heading into 2024. Ridley isn’t on the list.
According to musiccitymiracles.com, Ridley played to rave reviews during mandatory minicamp practices. The Titans expect him to be the go-to guy. He’s an excellent route runner, something that provides comfort to an inexperienced quarterback.
Still, Ridley had just 76 catches (on 136 targets) from a quarterback (Trevor Lawrence) who easily out-rates Levis in the NFL rankings.
Give Ridley credit for sticking around
Overcoming the mental-health issues in a league like the NFL is impressive. Ridley told si.com that there were dark times.
“I had to hit rock bottom so I could get healthy,” Ridley said. “Thank God, with the help of my therapist, I was able to understand what was happening to me. I learned the names for the things that I was feeling — stress, depression, anxiety — and how to cope with those emotions.”
Also, Ridley has a vote of confidence from someone that matters. Titans’ head coach Brian Callahan told nbcsports.com that Ridley is still special.
“I believe in everything he’s about,” Callahan said. “He’s a pro’s pro and he’s got real talent. He’s one of the better route runners I’ve ever been around. Really sudden, really fast, really explosive and, on top of it, he’s a great personality. To have him here and be able to steal him from a division rival makes it a little sweeter in that regard. I love having Calvin and I think he’s really gonna help us.”
The Titans have a lot of new faces. Joining Ridley and Hopkins in the starting lineup is former Cincinnati Bengals’ standout Tyler Boyd. Another player who can catch passes, Tony Pollard has taken over as the starting running back. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. And with Derrick Henry no longer in the backfield, air attacks should become much more commonplace for the Titans.
Also, Ridley must rely on Levis, who completed only 58.4% of his passes in nine games last season. The team went 3-6 with Levis as the starter, who sometimes flashed potential — especially in his four-touchdown debut, only the third player in NFL history to reach that total in a starting debut — and other times looked just OK.
One good thing for Ridley is Levis had a big-time throw rate ranked among the NFL’s best in 2023. A “big-time throw” is counted if it reaches the highest end of both difficulty and value. Generally it comes from balls thrown further down the field, which is bonus territory for Ridley.
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