It’s only been two months since Calvin Ridley was reinstated from a suspension, but Christian Kirk says the new member of the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiving corps is having no problem integrating into the locker room.
“He’s been working his butt off and doing the extra things to learn the offense and get acclimated to what we’re doing, but he fits right in with the culture and all the things we’re trying to do here,” Kirk told the Florida Times-Union when asked about Ridley.
Ridley, 28, recorded 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns in 49 games with the Atlanta Falcons before taking a leave for his mental health and missing the 2022 season due to a gambling suspension. Now he’s set to return to the football field after nearly two years on the shelf.
While his ability to shake off any rust won’t truly be tested until August and September, the Jaguars aren’t going to wait to make Ridley feel like family.
“We noticed the little things of getting together at each other’s houses, going to dinner and spending a lot of time with one another off the field, which we do a lot of and that’s what attributed to our success and being able to have those relationships last year,” Kirk told the Times-Union.
“I have no doubt in my mind that [Ridley] is gonna be a part of that.”
The Jaguars are due to send a fourth-round draft pick to the Falcons in 2024 for Ridley, but it’ll become a third-rounder if the receiver hits certain play time thresholds and a second-rounder if he signs a contract extension with Jacksonville.
