NASHVILLE — Veteran receiver Calvin Ridley has agreed to restructure his contract with the Tennessee Titans coming off a season in which injuries limited him to seven games, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Saturday.
The person who confirmed the agreement to AP spoke on condition of anonymity because the revision and terms have not been announced.
The NFL’s new league year began Wednesday, and the Titans signed 25-year-old free agent Wan’Dale Robinson to boost their receivers. Ridley was signed to a four-year deal initially worth up to $92 million in 2024 to join Tennessee, and he worked hard last year to build chemistry with quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft who started every game as a rookie and took every snap for the offense until getting hurt early in the finale.
Ridley’s season ended in mid-November with a broken leg, and he finished with 17 catches for 303 yards. Ridley, who turns 32 in December, has just four touchdown catches total in two seasons with the Titans.
Tennessee cleared some salary cap space Friday releasing cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who joined the Titans as a two-time Super Bowl champion traded by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 but was expendable after two injury-plagued years.
NFL Network reported that Ridley was due a $2 million bonus if he was still on Tennessee’s roster at 4 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.
Ridley was Tennessee’s highest-paid player, due to count $26.4 million against the cap with a cap hit of $13 million if released, according to Spotrac.com. Restructuring gives the Titans more flexibility after a busy start to free agency for second-year general manager Mike Borgonzi with new coach Robert Saleh.
The Titans have new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who is familiar with Ridley after working with the receiver in 2017 as the University of Alabama’s offensive coordinator. Ridley was the 26th pick overall in 2018 by the Atlanta Falcons, and the Titans are his third NFL team; he was with with the Jacksonville Jaguars — one of Tennessee’s rivals in the AFC South Division — before coming to Music City.
Ridley is averaging 77 catches for 1,073 yards and eight touchdowns over a 17-game season in his seven-year career.
“I have a relationship with Rid,” Daboll said Feb. 18. “He was great for me at Alabama. He’s had a productive career in the National Football League, and I look forward to working with him.”
As for others at the position for the Titans, Chimere Dike had 48 catches for 423 yards and four touchdowns as a last season, when he was an All-Pro first-team selection on special teams as a returner, and Elic Ayomanor had 41 catches for 515 yards and four touchdowns. Both were fourth-round draft picks last year.
The newly acquired Robinson had 1,014 yards on 92 catches last season while playing for the New York Giants.