Wide receiver Calvin Ridley is heading to the Tennessee Titans, the highlight of the official start of NFL free agency Wednesday as teams began reshaping their rosters in a quest to end Kansas City’s reign after the Chiefs won the past two Super Bowls.
Ridley — who had been expected to re-sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, one of Tennessee’s division rivals in the AFC South — and the Titans agreed on a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the terms told The Associated Press.
Ridley gives young quarterback Will Levis another playmaker in Nashville. He started all 17 games for the Jaguars last season and finished with 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns.
The 29-year-old Ridley, however, hasn’t always been so reliable. He missed most of the previous two years because of a broken foot, a mental health break and a yearlong gambling suspension that started when he was with the Atlanta Falcons, who selected the former Alabama Crimson Tide star with a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft.
The Titans also added a veteran quarterback, agreeing with Mason Rudolph on a one-year contract, another person familiar with the decision told the AP.