Calvin Ridley fell short of admittedly sky-high expectations in his first season back on the field since 2021, but his return to action wasn’t without success; not only did he start all 17 games in 2023, but his 136 targets and eight touchdowns proved that he’s got plenty left in the tank going into 2024 after his near two-year hiatus. Of course, anyone who had Ridley in their lineups last year will remember the volatile nature of his production that included six weekly finishes inside the top-10 and ten outside the top-30.
That inconsistency can be partially attributed to QB Trevor Lawrence gutting out multiple starts with injuries, as well as TE Evan Engram reeling in 114 catches of his own – but diabolically bad luck in the end zone might be the most notable part of Ridley’s lone season in Jacksonville. His 24 end zone targets led the league in 2023 but only produced seven touchdowns, with near-miss scoring opportunities frequently appearing on NFL Red Zone screens on a weekly basis.
Given that he was competing with Engram, Christian Kirk, and Zay Jones for targets, his 21.6% target share and 0.23 targets per route run – while relatively low – are admirable, and he takes that target earning ability to Tennessee where he figures to be the 1A or 1B to DeAndre Hopkins in 2024. New HC Brian Callahan worked in a system in Cincinnati that tends to favor the passing game, throwing the ball at the 4th-highest rate in the NFL last year in Cincinnati despite the unproven Jake Browning starting nine games.
Ridley signed a massive four-year, $92M contract with the Titans this offseason (i.e. WR1 money), which bodes well for his role in Tennessee’s offense with the fiery Will Levis under center. The good news about Ridley’s new role is that he likely won’t have to face much press coverage, and can see a lot of free releases as a flanker opposite a true X receiver in DeAndre Hopkins - similar to what he had in Atlanta. Playing the X role in Jacksonville isn’t his strong suit, so it’s possible we see an uptick in production and consistency.
As long as Levis can be serviceable behind an improved Titans offensive line, Ridley could end up being one of the better values among the mid-round crop of receivers.