The Patriots aggressively pursued a new No. 1 wide receiver in free agency.
He turned them away.
Ex-Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley is signing a 4-year deal worth up to $92 million, including $50 million guaranteed, according to the NFL Network. Ridley was reportedly picking between the Patriots and Jaguars, though Tennessee swooped in late to add the best wideout available in free agency. Ridley posted a 1,000-yard season last year, his first in Jacksonville after serving a season-long suspension in 2022.
Ridley started every game and led the Jaguars with 76 catches and eight receiving touchdowns. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, he boasts a dangerous combination of size and speed for an outside receiver, something the Patriots have sorely missed in recent years.
Ridley joined the Jaguars via trade in Nov. 2022 during a season-long suspension for gambling. The NFL suspended him for placing three multi-leg parlays in Nov. 2021 that included his former team, the Falcons, while he was on a leave of absence for mental health reasons. That season, he appeared in just five games, then left the team to deal with anxiety and depression, battles he later revealed in a letter posted to The Players Tribune.
Ridley enjoyed his best season in 2020, posting career highs in catches (90) and receiving yards (1,374) as Atlanta’s No. 1 receiver. He caught at least 63 passes over each of his first three NFL seasons, including a 10-touchdown campaign as a rookie in 2018. The Falcons drafted Ridley in the first round of that year’s draft out of Alabama.
The Patriots identified wide receiver as a major need early this offseason and made Ridley one of their top targets in free agency, per sources. It’s unclear how they will move forward, though recently released Chargers wideout Mike Williams could make for an interesting option.
The Pats have already re-signed veteran receivers Kendrick Bourne and Jalen Reagor. Bourne inked a 3-year deal, per source, but could be released with minimal penalty after next season. Reagor returned on a 1-year contract.