Ben Arthur
AFC South Reporter
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley was already in line to receive a massive contract this offseason, whether it came from returning to the Jaguars or signing elsewhere as a free agent. But now, he’s at the top of the market.
Star receiver Mike Evans agreed to terms on a two-year, $52 million extension Monday with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bengals’ Tee Higgins was franchise-tagged last month, and Colts general manager Chris Ballard definitively said at the combine that Michael Pittman Jr. will be staying in Indianapolis in 2024 one way or the other, whether it be via franchise tag or extension.
After Higgins, Evans and Pittman, Ridley was the highest-rated wide receiver on FOX Sports’ impending free agent list at No. 23 overall. Now, he is expected to be the No. 1 wide receiver in unrestricted free agency when the signing period begins on March 13.
Considering his production last season and the dearth of elite wide-receiver talent hitting the market, Ridley is in line to receive a contract valued north of $23 million in average annual value. He played on his $11.1 million fifth-year option in 2023, when he had 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games for Jacksonville. He didn’t miss a practice, let alone appear on the injury report, an impressive feat considering the nature of the sport.
Regardless of the price, the Jaguars should be inclined to pay up for Ridley. There’s tremendous pressure on coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke to deliver in 2024, after last season’s collapse wasted one of the final years of Trevor Lawrence’s rookie contract.
Their jobs could be on the line.
And trying to replace Ridley’s production, let alone improving the wide receiver room without him, is a tremendous risk.
“I had a great talk with Calvin, I know exactly where he’s at, and he knows exactly where we’re at,” Baalke said last week at the NFL Combine. “We’re just…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/what-mike-evans-new-deal-with-bucs-means-for-calvin-ridley-jaguars
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Publish date : 2024-03-04 22:50:25
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