The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ 2023-24 season came to a surprising end in Week 18, with the team falling to the Tennessee Titans 28-20. The loss eliminated the Jaguars from the playoffs, ending a season in which they were once 8-3.
For wide receiver Calvin Ridley, it could have been his last game as a Jaguar, considering he is an impending free agent. Although he doesn’t know what will happen next, Ridley does want to be back in Jacksonville. So, what did he say in his exit interview?
Calvin Ridley’s Pitch to the Jaguars
Ridley was traded to the Jaguars at the trade deadline of the 2022 season. The Jaguars sent a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2024 pick to the Falcons for Ridley.
The conditional 2024 pick will become a second-round pick if Ridley is signed to a long-term deal and a third-round pick if he is not.
2023 was Ridley’s first full season since 2020, as he sat out most of 2021 for mental health reasons and was suspended in 2022 for gambling on NFL games while he sat out in 2021.
In his first season, Ridley saw struggles one would after not playing for nearly two years.
However, despite the struggles, Ridley caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. This marked his second-ever season over 1,000 yards, with his first coming in 2020 when he caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in Atlanta.
MORE: Jacksonville Jaguars Depth Chart
According to Ridley, though, he doesn’t have a “feel” for what happens next. However, he does want to return to Jacksonville. “I learned these guys, built relationships with them. I don’t really care to learn other people and plays and all that other stuff right now.”
#Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley says he doesn’t have a “feel” for what happens next for him. But he wants to be back in Jacksonville.
“I learned these guys, built relationships with them. I don’t really care to learn other people & plays & all that other stuff right now.” pic.twitter.com/Ia1mS68Yvi
— Juston W. Lewis (@JustonLewis_) January 8, 2024
The Jaguars have a few deadlines to look at with Ridley. The first one is the franchise tag deadline, which is from Feb. 20 to March 5. If the Jaguars were to apply the franchise tag to Ridley, it would keep him in Jacksonville for at least one more year at the cost of a projected $21.6 million, according to Over The Cap.
“I know I’m a good player,” said Ridley. In his career, he has now caught 324 passes for 4,358 yards and 36 touchdowns. He did, however, mention that the money needed to be up to par. “If the money right, I do need some of that,” he said. “God’s going to find out where I belong.”
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson was asked about Ridley on Monday, stating that he was a bright spot for the team. “Calvin was a bright spot for us offensively. He was someone here down the stretch who we relied on,” said Pederson. “He’s got a lot of talent. He made us better.” However, Pederson was non-committal on Ridley’s future.
The new league year officially starts on March 13, with all impending free agents officially becoming available at 4:00 p.m. ET. Ridley isn’t the only major impending free agent wide receiver, as Tee Higgins and Mike Evans of the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also on the path to free agency.
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