The Tennessee Titans entered the offseason determined to get this rebuild back on track, and that meant that a lot needed to change. Since then, the Titans have hired a new head coach, offensive coordinator defensive coordinator, and signed or drafted 12+ players who are expected to have an immediate impact in 2026.
Despite all of the speculation, one of the things that didn't change was Calvin Ridley.
Heading into the offseason, it looked like the Titans were going to cut Ridley due to his high cap hit. That was the assumption before knowing the team was about to spend the fourth overall pick on another wide receiver.
Calvin Ridley could be the X-Factor for the Tennessee Titans, Cam Ward in 2026
However, Ridley's resume and his experience with new OC Brian Daboll were enough to earn him a chance at the roster in training camp. Nothing was guaranteed, though, and when Elic Ayomanor had his dominant offseason, it seemed like the Titans would find a way to get Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Ayomanor out on the field together as the starting three.
So far, that hasn't been the case, and that isn't because of anything Ayomanor has or hasn't done. Instead, Ridley was quietly consistent and reliable for the Titans in training camp, and he appears primed to thrive in his role as the WR3.
For the first time, the Titans have so much depth at wide receiver that they can use their personnel to manipulate and attack opposing defenses. If a team struggles with size at receiver, the Titans can use Ayomanor and Tate on the boundary and tight ends Gunnar Helm and Daniel Bellinger. If Daboll wants to go with twitchy guys, then he can choose from Robinson, Ridley, or Chimere Dike.
This passing offense has options, so the fact that Ridley won the WR3 role tells you more about what he can still do at this point in his career. A "good" Ridley can still be a very effective weapon for sophomore quarterback Cam Ward.
The offensive line has improved, Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears have thrived in the backfield, and they have a very smart OC/QB combination in Daboll and Ward. If the wide receivers are deep and talented enough for Ayomanor and Dike to start each game on the bench, this team is in a very good spot on offense for the first time in a long time. Now they just have to get reps together and get on the same page as quickly as possible if they want to turn around the narrative about this team in 2026.
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