Ex Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley vows to go off against his former team

Wide receiver Calvin Ridley became a key contributor for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not surprisingly, they wanted to re-sign him in the offseason but the Tennessee Titans swooped in and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. This means the Jags will now face the Alabama product when they play their division foes. When they do, he promises to go off.

Ridley posted a video of him working out on social media. A fan took notice and said that he's going to get clowned if he drops a pass against Jacksonville. The receiver caught wind of the comment and responded that he's going [expletive] crazy if he scores.

Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen also saw the exchange on Twitter and chimed in, letting his former teammate that he won't let it happen.

The fan must've brought up Ridley's drops because he led the team in that category, with a few of them turning out to be costly.

Drops aside, Ridley was one of the Jaguars' most productive players in 2023, registering the second 1,000-yard season of his career. On top of that, he led the league with seven defensive-pass interference calls, which helped move the chains at crucial times.

This is even more impressive when you take into account that the Florida native was serving a suspension when the Jags traded for him in 2022 and had been away from football for more than a year.

How did the Jaguars lose Calvin Ridley to the Titans?

The Jags were pleased with Ridley's performance and made it clear that they wanted to bring him back the sentiment was mutual. However, re-signing him wasn't going to be a straightforward proposition.

When the Jags traded for Ridley, they agreed to give the Atlanta Falcons a second-round pick if they gave him a long-term contract before the start of free agency.

A way to work around the second-round pick would've been to apply the franchise tag on Ridley. Unfortunately, they had already used it on Josh Hines-Allen, so they ultimately let the receiver walk in free agency with the hope that they were going to be able to re-sign him. That's when the Titans stepped in and lured him away from them, giving him a four-year deal worth $92 million.

Calvin Ridley could spell trouble for the Jaguars fits in 2024

Just recently, Jaguars safety Andre Cisco said that the biggest factor in the AFC South race will be the quality of wide receivers that play in the division. He isn't wrong.

It's true that the AFC South is stacked with intriguing quraterback talent but there are also several wide receivers that will have a huge impact. The Houston Texans traded for Stefon Diggs, who'll join a group that includes Tank Dell and Nico Collins. The Indiquarterbackanapolis Colts will pair rookie Adonai Mitchell with Michael Pittman Jr. The Tennesse Titans, for their part, locked up Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley in free agency.

Of course, the Jaguars didn't want to be left behind, so they inked Gabe Davis in the open market and later drafted Brian Thomas Jr. The former has averaged 16.7 yards per reception throughout his career while the latter has the tools to become a deep threat.

In the end, the Jacksonville Jaguars are probably better off without Calvin Ridley. On the other hand, they'll now have to face them twice a year, and the last thing they want is letting him reach the end zone.

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