Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley enjoyed a terrific debut campaign with his team in 2023, but now, he is headed toward free agency, and the cash-strapped Jaguars may have some difficulty retaining him.
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke spoke about Ridley’s situation this week, and while he was somewhat diplomatic on Ridley’s future with the franchise, he seems to be in favor of bringing the star pass-catcher back for next season.
“When you bring in somebody in that hasn’t been a part of football for over a year and a half, you’ve got to knock the rust off,” Baalke said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “He did that and, at times, he showed who he was and what he used to and what he can be. The sky’s the limit. He’s only going to get better because of the way he works. When you love something as much as he loves football, you can’t help but get better. We would love to have Calvin back. We are going to work toward that. What that means is, I don’t know right now.”
Ridley was traded from the Atlanta Falcons to Jacksonville in November 2022, eight months after he was suspended by the NFL for gambling on games in 2021.
He did not play at all during the 2022 campaign and, as Baalke noted, had not played for a year-and-a-half overall after he stepped away from football for personal reasons midway through the 2021 season.
The 29-year-old was reinstated last February and managed to haul in 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns this year.
Obviously, the Jags would greatly benefit from re-signing Ridley, as he was Trevor Lawrence’s No. 1 target in 2023. However, the Jaguars are entering the offseason with about $17.5 million in cap room, so bringing him back into the fold may prove difficult.
Calvin Ridley will unquestionably represent one of the top wide outs available this March.
Jacksonville went a disappointing 9-8 this season, missing the playoffs.
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