Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is expected to see a lot of targets in his first year with the team in 2024. "You're looking at a very similar role to what Ja'Marr Chase played," Titans head coach Brian Callahan said. The new Titans head coach previously coached Chase as the offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals. Ridley might not be the overall talent that Chase is, but his fantasy price is going to go up considerably if the Titans indeed use Ridley similarly to how Chase is used in Cincinnati. With the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023, the 29-year-old was mostly used as a deep threat on the outside and finished with the second 1,000-yard season of his career and eight touchdowns in 17 starts. If he's running more intermediate routes out of the slot in 2024, Ridley's fantasy ceiling could be even higher.
Calvin Ridley Wants To Have Full Route Tree In Tennessee
New Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley said "let me run all the routes" when giving his introductory press conference. It sounds like the Jacksonville Jaguars only let him run certain routes as their No. 1 pass-catcher in 2023, which kept him somewhat limited. Ridley would like to express more creativity with his routes in Tennessee, but it remains to be seen how that will play out as he starts across from veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins. The 29-year-old signed a four-year, $92 million deal to become the Titans' top receiver, and he'll now be taking passes from young quarterback Will Levis. After missing all of 2022 due to a suspension, Ridley caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games in 2023 for Jacksonville. Even with an inexperienced QB, Ridley should have a solid fantasy floor while being consistently targeted in the Titans' new offense.
The Tennessee Titans are signing former Jacksonville Jaguars star wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million del with $50 million fully guaranteed, according to sources. It's a pretty big free-agent surprise, as the 29-year-old pass-catcher was believed to be considering either a return to the Jaguars or signing with the New England Patriots. Veteran DeAndre Hopkins is still in Tennessee, but Ridley should become young quarterback Will Levis' new top wideout after Ridley put up the second 1,000-yard campaign of his career in 2023 in Jacksonville. The addition of Ridley also is a plus for Levis' QB2 fantasy value as he heads into his second year in the NFL. Ridley joins Hopkins and Treylon Burks as the wideout starters in three-wide sets for the 2024 campaign. Ridley might not have as much fantasy upside as he did in 2023 with the Jags, but this is a better landing spot than the Patriots.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots remain the two favorites to sign free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley, but other teams have stayed involved, according to sources. Ridley hasn't made his decision yet, and the Jaguars and Patriots haven't been ruled out. The 29-year-old was suspended for all of 2022 due to gambling, but he resurfaced last year with the Jaguars and was their top pass-catcher, hauling in 76 of his 136 targets for his second 1,000-yard season while also finding the end zone eight times. His path to another 1,000-yard season would be more difficult if he re-signs with the Jags following their signing of former Bill Gabe Davis. But returning to Jacksonville still could make him a more attractive fantasy weapon than if he were to go to New England, who could be using Jacoby Brissett as their starting QB in 2024.
Calvin Ridley Drawing Interest From Patriots, Still In Contact With Jaguars
Free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley is reportedly drawing interest from the New England Patriots, but sources believe he prefers to return to Jacksonville and is still working with the organization on a new deal. Jacksonville agreed to terms with wide receivers Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay on Monday, but Davis is a field stretcher, while Duvernay is likely a pure special teamer at this point in his career. Ridley enjoyed a 1,000-yard, eight-touchdown season in his first year with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and it sounds like the two sides would like to run it back if they can work out a deal. If Ridley returns, the Jacksonville pass-catching group will be crowded and difficult to analyze given the additions of Davis and the presence of Christian Kirk and Evan Engram.
Patriots Expected To Make A Push For Calvin Ridley
Now that wide receiver Calvin Ridley is officially on the free-agent market and unlikely to re-sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars following their pickup of Gabe Davis, the New England Patriots are expected to make a push for him. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler also lists the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers as potentially being in the market for a receiver like Ridley. After being suspended for all of 2022 due to gambling, Ridley caught 76 of his 136 targets for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns with the Jaguars in 2023. The Patriots already re-signed Kendrick Bourne, but Ridley would probably be their No. 1 wideout if he were to land in New England, and he'd be a big upgrade over the likes of current starters JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario Douglas.
Impending free agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley is unlikely to return to the Jacksonville Jaguars after the team placed the franchise tag on edge rusher Josh Allen, according to ESPN's Michael DiRocco. Ridley is a top wideout option in the 2024 free-agent class and will command a contract that the Jaguars are either unwilling or unable to match. The organization has until Monday, March 11 to exclusively negotiate with Ridley before other teams can contact him. After being out of football for over a full calendar year, Ridley returned in 2023 and posted 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. His potential landing spot will determine his future fantasy value, but he will be firmly on the fantasy radar wherever he plays in 2024.
Sports Illustrated's John Shipley writes that the Jacksonville Jaguars want to re-sign impending unrestricted free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley this offseason, and there are plenty of reasons to think that Ridley wants to return as well. Ridley will be the top receiver on the market for several teams, so it won't be easy for Jacksonville to bring him back. Meanwhile, Shipley doesn't expect Jamal Agnew to return after being a valuable piece for the team the last three years. Ridley, 29, was suspended for all of 2022 due to gambling and returned in 2023 to catch 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games. If he sticks around in Jaguars for a second straight season, he could improve on his numbers from a year ago with more chemistry with quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to re-sign impending free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley this offseason. However, per terms of their 2022 trade with the Atlanta Falcons to acquire Ridley, their third-round pick due to Atlanta turns into a second-rounder if the Jaguars extend Ridley's contract. It means that the Jaguars need to wait until after the new league year begins in March to avoid giving up a second-rounder, because at that point any deal would be a free-agent signing and not an extension. It will also give Ridley time to talk to other teams during the negotiating window, unless he and Jacksonville work out a loose agreement and wait. The 29-year-old had 1,016 receiving yards on 76 receptions and eight touchdowns as the team's No. 1 wideout in 2023 and would most likely be most valuable in fantasy if he stayed with the Jaguars.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley caught six of his 10 targets for 106 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's loss to the Titans. The wideout was suspended all of last season. However, he returned to finish with the second 1,000-yard receiving year of his career. Ridley's outlook for the 2024-25 campaign hinges on Trevor Lawrence's development. If the signal-caller can rebound from a subpar year, Ridley could be in store for his most productive season to date. But since nobody will know if Lawrence has improved until the season begins, Ridley is worth reaching for in all fantasy drafts heading into Week 1.
