19 March 2024 , 00:00
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New Tennessee Titans star Calvin Ridley has made a big move by signing a huge £72 million ($92m) deal for four years. He decided to join the Titans instead of staying with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he has said that he really wanted to play for the Jags in 2024.
Jaguars fans weren't too happy with Ridley because he joined them after being suspended for the whole 2022 season for betting on NFL games, including ones involving his old team, the Atlanta Falcons.
Ridley played every game for the Jaguars in 2023, but then chose to leave and join their AFC South rivals. In his first chat with the media as a Titan, he tried to make things right with the Jaguars supporters and shared why the Titans are a better match for him.
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"I think, playing them twice a year, I was watching them and looking at the things they did have," Ridley explained.
"I know that D-Hop's (DeAndre Hopkins) here - and I know that I wanted to play with another receiver on the other side that could help me do what I do best.
"I know that they had a really good defense and were upcoming and stuff. I was looking into it. I really wanted to be with the Jags, but there were a lot of things that weren't working out for me and then I think the Titans had that other side for me, so I chose the Titans. Obviously, the money was pretty good, so I went with that."
Even though the Titans have Hopkins as a key target, Ridley is focused on being the main man for Tennessee next season. Ridley praised the Jaguars for having a talented locker room on offense, but he didn't like not being seen as their No. 1.
Ridley admitted that the other targets in Jacksonville left him missing out (Getty Images)"Jacksonville, they have a lot of weapons over there and sometimes when I was there, I was like, feeling a little weird because I was always someone who wants the ball and I want to crack the game for us," he said.
"I want to be the guy who's, you know - keep me into the game all game. So, I was like, really, coming over here and I want to do my thing, take over. I want to bring this team, shoot this team through the roof in any way I can to help."
Ridley won't have the chance to play with Derrick Henry next season, as the veteran running back left the organisation for the Baltimore Ravens. The Titans did bring in former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard though, and things are looking bright in Tennessee.