There are a lot of excellent quality receivers in the NFL today, and each one brings his special talent to the plate. In Calvin Ridley, the league has a wide receiver that is probably in the top 3 when it comes to route running. In fact, he calls route running an art of the game. Ridley is a very versatile runner who can cut both ways effectively and get himself open quickly.
Known to be quick off the blocks, Ridley also has an excellent football IQ which helps his decision making. Reading the defense, he is most of the time a step ahead and uses it to his advantage to get open. Ridley has been playing competitive football since his younger days. Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Ridley attended Monarch High School earning a five-star recruit rating before college.
Calvin Ridley at the University of Alabama
Ridley spent three years with the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. He was one of those players who are so good they get on the team in their true freshman year. With many big games during the year, Ridley had a terrific first season with the team and finished as the leader in receptions in the SEC conference in 2015.
Continuing to make plays happen, and improving his overall game, Ridley played well in his sophomore and junior years as well becoming a two-time CFP national champion along the way. His multiple 100-plus receiving yards in football games meant he eventually finished his college career with over 2,700 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns in a span of three years. Deciding to enter the 2018 NFL Draft, Ridley was selected in the first round by the Atlanta Falcons.
Which team does Calvin Ridley play for
Ridley will play with the Tennessee Titans in the 2024-25 NFL season after he signed a 4-year deal with the franchise in March 2024. The 2024 season will be his first for the new team and he will be playing in Tennessee until 2028.
Interestingly, Ridley will now partner with another highly hailed receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, and the two are expected to provide a huge offensive boost for the Titans heading into the new season.
Calvin Ridley's previous teams
The artistic route runner was drafted in 2018 by the Atlanta Falcons which is where he remained until 2022. He had a decent rookie year making the PFWA All-Rookie team and had very similar contributions in his second year as well.
After starting his career behind elite receivers such as Julio Jones, Ridley got the WR1 status on the Falcons team in 2020. Making the most of this opportunity, Ridley had a breakout year and was looking good to continue making strides in the right direction until a couple of months into the 2021 season when the gambling scandal took place.
Eventually, his 2021 campaign ended with him having played only five games after which he stated he was stepping away for a break due to mental health reasons. In 2022, he was suspended for the entire season due to his involvement in gambling.
Ridley then started the 2023 NFL season as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise after he signed with them on November 1, 2022. This trade was very interesting, especially at the time it took place. As a result of a gambling incident involving Ridley in November 2021, the NFL suspended him for a full year at least from March 2022 onwards.
At the time this trade took place in November 2022, Ridley was still suspended for the entire 2022 NFL season. Furthermore, nobody was certain whether his suspension would be extended beyond one year, and in that sense, it was a bold play from the Jaguars to go for the trade. In return, the Jaguars gave up a fifth-round 2023 draft pick and one fourth-round 2024 draft pick which would have turned into a second-round pick if Ridley had remained with the Jaguars.
As for the Jaguars, they seemed to have gotten the better part of the trade as the former Falcons receiver brought a lot to the table. He was hailed as WR1 in a revamped receiving core of Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and tight end Evan Engram. Working alongside Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, Ridley was able to get back to his top form before he was suspended.
FAQs
A. Calvin Ridley signed a four-year deal with the Tennessee Titans in March 2024 after playing with the Jaguars the previous season.
A. Calvin Ridley was suspended on the grounds of gambling on NFL matches for a period of one year.
A. Calvin Ridley was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
A. Calvin Ridley is a wide receiver playing for the Tennesse Titans.
