By Jeff Moeller
JACKSONVILLE (Florida Sports Wire) – Calvin Ridley sat out the 2022 season with Atlanta for betting on games.
Now, the Jaguars are betting on him as one of the pieces to take them to the next level.
With Ridley and his new teammates, it has been about truth and not his prior consequences. This is a new bond that has been built with a player who sat out all last season, and it will be nearly 700 days that he hasn’t been on the football field when he lines up for the Jags’ season opener.
“I’ve been good at football my whole life. I’ve not only been good, but I’ve worked to be good,” said ridley. “They say two years off, but what about the healing process that I got with the time off? What if I got faster? What if I got stronger? Obviously, I got wiser, so why can’t I be better? I kind of look at it like that.”
Ridley has been a welcomed addition, one the Jaguars realize how valuable he can be. Even though he can be their number one threat, Ridley doesn’t want the spotlight on him, appropriately wearing No. 0.
“One of the things I really find, and the respect I have for Calvin, is just the communication he’s had with us, and us with him,” stressed Jags’ head coach Doug Pederson. “I make that a point, to be open and honest with all the players, especially a veteran player of his caliber.
He’s excited to be here, he wanted to be here, he’s not going anywhere. He now lives in Jacksonville, Florida, so it’s good to see him here as well.”
When he was acquired from Atlanta Nov. 1, it was a rather inconspicuous deal, as the team was reeling in a four-game losing streak, and Ridley wouldn’t be an instant factor. It was viewed as an ace in the hole.
The 28-year-old Ridley had 248 receptions for 3,242 yards with 28 touchdowns with Atlanta. He had 90 catches for 1,374 yards with nine touchdowns in 2020.
He was Atlanta’s No. 1 pick and 26th overall in the 2018 draft. Ridley was slated as the team’s No. 1 receiver. The Alabama grad lived up to his expectations.
Ridley looked good in the team’s recent mini-camp, even though he was among rookies and free agents fighting to get a look. He has been well accepted by his teammates.
With Ridley, the Jags easily have the best receiving corps in their conference as well as one of the best in the league.
The team allowed Marvin Jones to walk away in free agency, but the core of Zay Jones, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram can be matched with anyone based on their 2022 totals.
Kirk and Ridley had crossed paths in the past, and he is glad to be sharing the field with him.
“I’ve had prior conversations, relationships and experiences with him, and he’s been a great dude,” said Kirk. “He’s still the same guy today. One of the cool things about football is it’s always full circle. Glad he’s on our team now.”
Should Ridley flourish, he is in the final year of his rookie contract, and he is scheduled to earn $11.12 million this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent next season, and that could be interesting.
In the meantime, Ridley simply wants a fresh state and a low profile.
“I did make plays in this league, and I’ve been making plays throughout the course of my life,” he said. “Guys respect me, I’m not a disrespectful person. I’m coming at everyone with respect and just trying to make my way around, meet everyone, know everyone’s name, and just get this thing going for me, personally.”
(SportsDay columnist Jeff Moeller writes for the Florida Sports Wire)
