Calvin Ridley was an intriguing free agent in a fairly shallow wide receiver class (especially after Mike Evans and Michael Pittman Jr. re-signed with their teams), but with a very strong WR Draft class, it remained to be seen how many teams would chase him.
The Jaguars were in the mix to keep him and the Patriots had reported interest, but ultimately it was the Titans that offered him a 4-year, $92 million contract with $50 million guaranteed to be their No. 1 receiver after lacking at that position severely the last two years.
Breaking: Calvin Ridley is signing with the Tennessee Titans for 4 years, $92M with $50M fully guaranteed, his agents told @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/LFzbZqamcT
— ESPN (@espn) March 13, 2024
That was a surprising contract figure for many. Ridley had a nice season during his return from a gambling suspension in his first year in Jacksonville, catching 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns, but no one was quite sure if the league would view him as a long term No. 1 and pay him like it. Tennessee did, and when some questioned the deal as being too much, Ridley responded with a very funny, matter of fact reply.
Naw the right amount
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 13, 2024
That’s exactly what Ridley should say, as he wasn’t the one who gave out that deal. He just took what the market gave him and can now cash in on at least $50 million. Whether that’s too much to pay him isn’t his problem and the Titans certainly believe in his ability to provide Will Levis with the kind of receiving threat needed to take a step forward.