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Calvin Ridley: What to know about new Tennessee Titans receiver who spurned Jaguars in free agency

The Tennessee Titans have added a major player to their wide receiver room.

The Titans will sign Calvin Ridley to a 4-year deal worth a maximum of $92 million,  a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Tennessean.

Ridley has two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his six-year NFL career, including the last two seasons in which he played a majority of the season.

Ridley's NFL story is unique, and it includes an indefinite leave, a one-year suspension and a return to being a top receiver in the league.

Here's what to know about 29-year-old Calvin Ridley, the new wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans:

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Calvin Ridley as first-round pick, main cog of Atlanta Falcons offense

Ridley was the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, and he was an immediate contributor as a rookie playing with Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu. After two seasons of at least 800 receiving yards, Ridley stepped up as the No. 1 receiver in the Falcons offense with Jones battling injuries. The Alabama alum was a Second Team AP All-Pro honoree after a career-high 1,374 receiving yards.

With Jones now out of Atlanta in 2021 and joining the Titans, Ridley was expected to get the bulk of targets as the Falcons unquestioned top receiving option. That didn't happen.

Calvin Ridley's gambling suspension: Why did Ridley miss the 2022 season?

Ridley had been dealing with a foot injury through the end of the 2020 season, relying on painkillers to gut through 15 games that season. An examination by the Falcons newly hired staff in 2021 revealed that Ridley had a broken foot, he wrote in a letter on The Players Tribune. The pressure of returning fully healthy for the season combined with the desire to uphold personal family responsibilities pushed Ridley to step away indefinitely from the Falcons in October 2021, citing mental health, according to his Players Tribune letter. He missed the rest of the 2021 season.

In November 2021, Ridley gambled on NFL games, including a Falcons game, over a five-day stretch while on the non-football injury list during his indefinite leave. Those bets were against NFL policy, and the league gave Ridley a one-year suspension for the 2022 season.

Calvin Ridley's career restarts with Jaguars

During the 2022 season, the Falcons traded Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars for two conditional picks, one in the 2023 draft and one in the 2024 draft. Because Ridley was reinstated in March 2023, the 2023 pick was a fifth-round selection. And since he did not re-sign with the Jaguars, the 2024 pick is a third-rounder.

Upon his return, Ridley played on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal (worth $11.1 million) in 2023. While it wasn't an instant return to No. 1 receiver status, Ridley grew into his role with the Jaguars, eventually totaling 1,016 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Those numbers included a pair of 100-yard receiving games against the Titans. Despite Jacksonville slumping late to miss the playoffs, Ridley reestablished himself as a major receiving option and the top free agent pass-catcher this spring.

Calvin Ridley contract explained: How much Titans are paying Ridley to come to Nashville in free agency

Despite multiple reports linking Ridley to a return to the Jaguars or a move to the receiver-starved Patriots, Ridley stunned his now-AFC South rival by signing with the Titans on a four-year deal worth up to $92 million with $50 million in guarantees.

Spotrac tweeted Wednesday that Ridley's guaranteed money ranks 10th among active contracts at the position.

Titans QB Will Levis now has Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins in WR room; current Titans WR depth chart

Ridley joins DeAndre Hopkins in Nashville, helping turn a weakness into a likely strength for the Titans offense. Both Hopkins and Ridley totaled more than 1,000 receiving yards in 2023. Tennessee likely also needs to add another receiver, possibly through the draft, with no obvious slot receiver even with Ridley and Hopkins' ability to play there.

The current Titans wide receiver room includes:

  • DeAndre Hopkins

  • Calvin Ridley

  • Treylon Burks

  • Kyle Philips

  • Colton Dowell

  • Kearis Jackson

  • Tre'Shaun Harrison

Calvin Ridley NFL stats

Season and team

Receptions

Receiving yards

TDs

YPC

Accolades

2018 (ATL)

64

821

10

12.8

All-Rookie Team

2019 (ATL)

63

866

7

13.7

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2020 (ATL)

90

1,374

9

15.3

Second Team AP All-Pro

2021 (ATL)

31

281

2

9.1

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2023 (JAC)

76

1,016

8

13.4

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Career totals

324

4,358

36

13.5

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Calvin Ridley: What to know about new Tennessee Titans receiver