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Turon Davenport, ESPN
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After meeting twice during the regular season, the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars are meeting for the third time in the free agent battle for wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
The Titans made a last-minute swoop and signed Ridley, who had 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns for the Jaguars last season, to a four-year, $92 million contract that includes $50 million guaranteed.
Ridley's decision to join the Titans over the Jaguars was a difficult one.
“Honestly, I wanted to stay with the Jags, but a lot of things went wrong,” Ridley said during his induction press conference. “Then obviously the money was pretty good so I went with it. So here I am.”
Ridley added that he waited until Wednesday to make his final decision. He's interesting considering how that factored into one of the Jaguars' trade terms to acquire him from the Atlanta Falcons two years ago.
The Falcons traded Ridley to Jacksonville for sixth-round (2023) and fourth-round (2024) conditional picks. With Ridley returning in 2023 from his indefinite gambling suspension, the 2023 pick becomes a fifth-round pick. Had Jacksonville signed Ridley to an extension by Wednesday, the 2024 pick would have been a second-round pick. Now all they have to do is send a third-round pick to Atlanta.
Ridley's return to the field was a success for Jacksonville last season, but he hinted at times that he wasn't comfortable.
Money wasn't the only factor in Ridley's decision to sign with Tennessee. Ridley already had a relationship with the Titans' new offensive coordinator, Nick Holtz, who served as Jacksonville's passing game coordinator last season.
Ridley also contacted the Titans' front office late in the negotiation process.
“I feel like I can grow up here,” Ridley said. “This team has shown me that they want me to be here for a while, and they've already told me they're going to treat me like a grown man.”
Signing a 29-year-old receiver to a four-year deal may be met with skepticism. But in Ridley's mind, his age is just a number.
“On paper, I'm 29 years old,” Ridley said with a smile. “But I'm actually about 25 years old.”
