Report: Calvin Ridley, Titans Agree to 4-Year, $92M Contract amid Patriots Rumors

The Tennessee Titans and wide receiver Calvin Ridley agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract in one of the most surprising deals of the free-agency period.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the deal carries $50 million in fully guaranteed money. Ridley had reportedly been in talks with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots before the Titans swooped in to sign the wide receiver.

Ridley spent the 2023 season with the Jaguars after sitting out the entire 2022 campaign due to a gambling suspension. He was limited to just five games in 2021 due to injuries and mental health concerns.

Playing all 17 games for the Jaguars, Ridley compiled 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns on 76 receptions. While his performance was plagued with inconsistency, Ridley did compile four 100-yard games and led the team in receiving.

“I think I’ve been proving that I can still run. As long as I can run and cut, I know I can play,” Ridley told reporters in January. “I just needed to be more focused, more dialed in and figure out my routine faster. Figuring out how to get back into the flow of it faster—it’s not as easy as people think. I was trying to figure out faster and remember those situations, those one-on-one situations, just figuring the game out. I think next year will be a better year for me for sure. Just to get this year under my belt was important, though.”

The Jaguars and Patriots were considered the overwhelming favorites for Ridley’s services throughout his free agency. His landing in Tennessee is nothing short of a surprise and a bit of a head-scratcher considering the trajectory of the Titans franchise.

The Titans were seemingly set to enter a rebuilding period in 2024 with longtime quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry exiting in free agency. Ridley turns 30 in December, and fellow top wideout DeAndre Hopkins is 32. On paper, those timelines don’t add up to second-year quarterback Will Levis or even running backs Tony Pollard (26) and Tyjae Spears (22).

Tennessee’s offer likely came way over the top of the numbers offered by Jacksonville and New England while making Ridley one of the NFL’s highest-paid receivers without an elite resume. He’s never made a Pro Bowl and had more games last season with fewer than 40 receiving yards (eight) than 100-yard games (four).

For all of that, Ridley lands the third-most fully guaranteed money in NFL history for a receiver. Even with a rising salary cap, it’s hard to fathom the logic behind this deal.