Calvin Ridley is officially a member of the Tennessee Titans after signing a four-year, $92 million contract Friday. But in his first press conference as a member of his new team, the receiver couldn’t help but admit he would’ve loved to stay with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I really wanted to, honestly, be with the Jags,” Ridley said. “But there was a lot of things that wasn’t working out for me. I think the Titans had the other side for me, so I chose the Titans. And obviously the money was pretty good so I went with that.”
Ridley, 29, joined the Jaguars via a 2022 trade, but only played one season with the team. While he struggled with consistency and miscues, Ridley still managed to eclipse 1,000 yards on the year and hauled in eight touchdowns. Everyone in the building seemed optimistic that bigger things were on the way for the receiver in Jacksonville.
“I love these guys,” Ridley told reporters after the season ended in January, via Juston Lewis of the Florida Times-Union. I’ve built relationships with them, I don’t really care to learn other people and plays and all that other stuff right now, but God is gonna find out where I belong. If the money is right — I do need some of that — we’re gonna figure it out.”
Yet, it wasn’t all great for Ridley either. During his press conference Friday, he hinted at some parts of his time in Jacksonville causing frustration.
“I’m a grown man,” Ridley said. “Let me explain to you why I dropped that pass, why it looks like this, why I didn’t play good here. It’s not an excuse. I work hard and put myself in position to do good every time. It was a little uncomfortable at times, but [the Titans] showed me they want me here for a while and they told me already that they’re going to treat me like a grown man.”
“I like how [Callahan] can put me in a lot of different spots and move me around, which I think I didn’t do as much last year.” pic.twitter.com/caVI3ghEfD
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) March 15, 2024
Ultimately, though, it was the money that wasn’t right for Ridley and Jacksonville. While the Jaguars reportedly made a strong offer to Ridley, the Titans’ $23 million per year deal with $50 million guaranteed couldn’t be matched. And now the Jaguars will face Ridley twice a year.
