Former Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon signed veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year contract worth $92 million in free agency last offseason. The idea was to surround starting QB Will Levis with a talented speedster. The results were a little inconsistent, though Ridley still turned in a quality season.
Ridley produced 64 receptions for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns, leading the offense in catches and yards. He also averaged a team-best 15.9 yards per reception, displaying his ability to help generate explosive plays in the passing game.
There were also some inconsistencies.
Ridley saw a middling passer rating of 83.8 when targeted, per Pro Football Focus. Bad quarterback play undeniably impacted that number, a result Ridley did not have full control over. He did have control over drops, however, and he was credited with eight in that department, with recurring self-inflicted miscues.
All in all, Tennessee's passing offense struggled mightily throughout 2024. That's largely because Levis and Mason Rudolph were terrible. Brian Callahan's first-year passing attack ranked 26th in air yards per game (195.1) and 29th in combined passer rating (80.7).
Calvin Ridley should explode with Cam Ward at QB
The Titans are expecting to make major strides as a passing offense in 2025 after drafting Cam Ward to be their franchise quarterback. That's terrific news for Ridley, who found ways to stay mostly productive despite being hamstrung by his quarterbacks.
There's one stat in particular that proves why Ridley could be considerably more effective with Ward under center.
Just 67.5% of Ridley's targets were deemed catchable last season, according to Fantasy Points Data. That was third-lowest in the league among all wide receivers and tight ends who saw at least 75 targets. Ridley suffered greatly from playing with inaccurate quarterbacks.
New GM Mike Borgonzi has shown a willingness to quickly move on from Carthon's mistakes. He released Chido Awuzie and traded away Kenneth Murray, two players who were acquired alongside Ridley last offseason. Borgonzi couldn't move on from Ridley this summer, nor should he, considering the current state of Tennessee's receiver room.
Ridley will turn 31 during the 2025 campaign. He's actually younger than his top expected running mate, Tyler Lockett (33), will be this season. Ridley isn't a long-term solution, but he was still impactful throughout 2024 despite being limited by Levis and Rudolph.
There's tangible reason to believe that having a more accurate Ward as his quarterback will lead to a fruitful season for Ridley in 2025.