Calvin Ridley was still suspended indefinitely when he was traded by the Atlanta Falcons last fall. But the wide receiver says he wasn’t taken by surprise by the deal. He even had a hand in choosing his landing spot.
According to Ridley, the Falcons presented him with a list “six or seven teams” that made acceptable offers and he chose to go to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I think it’s a perfect spot for me,” Ridley told The Athletic on Wednesday. “I had an opportunity to choose from a bunch of different teams, and that’s why I chose this one. I felt like it was Florida, back home. I liked the roster a lot — Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Evan Engram, Etienne, Trevor, [Jamal] Agnew. I love the roster.
“I also thought they have a great chance to go far, and I want to be a part of that. I came from Alabama. I’m about winning. I’m not a cheater. I’m about winning games. I want to go to the playoffs, and obviously I want to go to the Super Bowl and win. I think this organization has what it takes to do that.”
In four seasons with the Falcons, Ridley never played on a team that finished with a winning record, let alone a playoff berth. In Jacksonville, he joins a team that finished the 2022 season on a run to earn the AFC South title and, later, a playoff victory.
Ridley took a leap of faith in choosing the Jaguars, though. At the time of the deal, Jacksonville was 2-6 and concerns about Trevor Lawrence’s long-term trajectory were at an all-time high.
Now Ridley is on a team that is a significant favorite to defend its division title in 2023.
Since joining Jacksonville, Ridley has made plenty of strong first impressions. He quickly won over his new coaches and teammates with his work ethic and attitude. On Wednesday, he had Jaguars fans in attendance for the team’s first training camp practice excited too.
