Calvin Ridley is a wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played high school football at Coconut Creek, Florida, and was rated the top wide receiver prospect in the 2015 class. Ridley committed to the University of Alabama to play college football, and was granted playing time immediately in his freshman season. He finished his freshman season with 89 catches for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns, all highs for his college career. He was a steady producer, commanding a 29.7-percent (89th-percentile) College Target Share.
Ridley declared for the 2018 NFL draft after his junior year. At the combine, he ran a 4.43 (85th-percentile) 40-yard Dash and measured in with a 75 3/4-inch wingspan with 9 1/8-inch hand size. He was drafted in the first round with the 26th pick by the Atlanta Falcons shortly after division rival Carolina selected future All-Pro D.J. Moore with the 24th pick.
His career got off to a fiery start when he was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for September. He caught six touchdowns in his first four games as a pro. He later broke the Falcons single-season receiving touchdowns record, scoring ten touchdowns and finishing the year leading rookies in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He was also named to the Pro Football Writers Associations’ All-Rookie Team. The following season, he continued to be a contributor, but his season was cut short when he suffered an abdominal injury in week 14. Ridley would bounce back the following season ranking No. 1 in Air Yards, and No. 2 in Red Zone Targets amongst all wide receivers. He was named to the Associated Press’ All-Pro 2nd Team that season also.
During the 2021 season, Ridley announced on Twitter that he was stepping away from football for mental health reasons. He was still under contract with the Falcons, but sat out the 2022 season after receiving a gambling suspension after the NFL found he was betting on games while away from the team in 2021. Ridley was traded to the Jaguars during the 2022 season, and signed a one-year contract with the team in 2023. It was an up-and-down season, but Ridley finished with 1,016 receiving yards, eight touchdowns and a WR27 finish in fantasy PPG.
