Patriots lose out on Calvin Ridley, who reportedly signs four-year deal with Titans
FOXBORO -- Free agent receiver Calvin Ridley has a new team, but it is not the New England Patriots.
While the Ridley sweepstakes was reportedly down to New England and a return to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the receiver has decided to sign with the Tennessee Titans, according to multiple reports. And it's easy to understand why, as Ridley is getting a four-year, $92 million deal from Tennessee, with $50 million is fully guaranteed money, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Patriots made a strong push for the 29-year-old Ridley, who was seen as one of the best receivers available -- if not the best -- on the open market this offseason. New England reportedly made an offer for around $22 million per season, according to The MMQB's Albert Breer, with the Jags offering around $20 million annually for Ridley to return to Jacksonville.
That offer was made on Tuesday, according to Breer, and it's unclear if New England upped the ante on Wednesday. It appears as though the Pats took a big swing to bring in a player they wanted, but it wasn't big enough in the end.
Ridley is coming off a solid season for the Jags where he caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. He put up those numbers after missing the entire 2022 season due to a gambling suspension from the league, and sitting out all but five games in 2021 to address his mental health. Drafted 26th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2018, Ridley has 36 touchdown receptions over 66 NFL games.
He was the subject of quite a bit of reporting on Tuesday, as one report said that in addition to the Jaguars and Patriots, a "dark horse" team might have been "lurking" as well. Another report stated that Ridley preferred staying in Jacksonville over making the move to New England. Plenty of Ridley rumors were swirling ahead of the NFL league year officially opening at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, but they were all about the Pats and the Jags.
In the end, that "dark horse" team emerged victorious, and the Patriots are left without the top receiver that Eliot Wolf was looking to sign this offseason. The Patriots were close with their offer, but close isn't going to get the job done for a potential No. 1 wideout.
The Patriots could set their sights on Mike Williams, who was released by the Chargers on Wednesday, or free agent Marquise Brown to come in and catch some passes. But Josina Anderson reported shortly after the Ridley news broke that the Patriots will focus on receivers in the NFL Draft to fill their void at the position.