Calvin Ridley not targeted in loss to Jets

Cam Ward’s preseason has been as bad or even worse than his rookie campaign. Ward in last week’s preseason game against Seattle completed eight of his 12 attempts for 69 yards. His average depth of target on completed passes this preseason sits at a meager 1.2. Carnell Tate, meanwhile, has been targeted five times on his 23 preseason routes and does not have a reception to show for it. Daboll has been somewhat defensive this month when asked about Ward’s immense struggles after working on basic fundamentals with the second-year QB in the offseason. Ward, one of the most inaccurate passers in recent NFL history, is unlikely to support more than one fantasy-viable pass catcher in 2026.

Davenport penned a lengthy piece detailing how OC Brian Daboll is focused on developing QB Cam Ward’s play on third down, in the red zone and in the two-minute drill. This is pretty straightforward. Those are all high-leverage situations, so harping on Ward’s performance there makes sense. Robinson played on all three drives in the Titans’ first preseason game while veteran Calvin Ridley was on the field for one. Rookie WR Carnell Tate was on the field for the first and third drives. A featured role on third downs could help Robinson return FLEX value — he’s certainly being paid like he is going to be featured.

Ridley suffered a broken fibula in Week 11 of the 2025 season and missed the remainder of the year. He hadn’t participated in any 7-on-7 or team drills up until this point, making today’s participation a major step in the right direction. Ridley agreed to a restructured deal to stay in Tennessee this offseason. He will tumble to third in the pecking order for targets now that Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson are both in the fold. That should still allow for the occasional splash play, but fantasy managers should look elsewhere for FLEX options.

Ridley in March restructured his contract with the Titans to remain in Tennessee for at least one more season following a terrible 2025 campaign in which he totaled 303 yards over seven games before a season-ending ankle injury. Ridley played under Daboll at Alabama before being drafted by the Falcons in 2018. “Rid is Rid,” Daboll said. “I’ve got a long-standing relationship with Rid back to 2017. He means a lot to me as a player. He was a good player for us when I was at Alabama. But as a person, we’ve developed a good relationship. It’s good to have him here. We’ve changed some stuff as we’ve went, but he’s smart. He’s a good player. He’s a good teammate. I’ve got a lot of appreciation and love for Rid.” Ridley will have to compete for WR3 duties in the new-look Tennessee offense this season with Wan’Dale Robinson and first-round rookie WR Carnell Tate shaping up as the team’s top two pass-catching options.

The details of the restructure were not immediately made available, but it sounds like the two sides did not address the maturation of the contract, meaning Ridley is still under team control through the 2027 season after signing a four-year contract with the team prior to the 2024 season. Ridley missed the second half of 2025 due to a broken fibula suffered in the middle of November. Rumors swirled throughout the offseason of the team potentially releasing Ridley, but he remains in Tennessee... at least for the immediate future. The reworked contract reportedly saves the Titans $11 million against the cap in 2026.

The Titans already have $100 million in cap space, so releasing Ridley wouldn’t exactly free them up to go anywhere they couldn’t already go. (Davenport admits it could still happen.) Robinson, a former Giant, would obviously be a worthwhile fit with his old head coach Brian Daboll calling plays in Tennessee. It’s very obvious that Cam Ward didn’t have enough weapons to work with last year, and while we’d stop short of calling Robinson a game changer for the Titans, he could at least help them figure out more about Ward in his second season.

Ridley finishes the season with a 17 catches for 303 yards and no touchdowns. The Titans have a new general manager, will have a new head coach, and cutting Ridley — who hadn’t delivered in 2024 even when he was healthy — feels like a fait accompli given the $13.7 million in cap savings they can realize by doing so. The soon-to-be 31-year-old will likely be looking for a one-year contract next offseason.

On Tennessee’s first play from scrimmage, Ridley caught the ball and immediately went down in a heap holding his ankle. He was later carted off the field, though he didn’t appear to be in much pain and was conversing with trainers. The Titans provided an update on his status before the drive was over. Ridley’s lone catch went for 13 yards. He was initially questionable before being ruled out at halftime.

Ridley’s hamstring injury kept him down from Weeks 7-9, not including a Week 10 bye. He’ll be on the WR4/WR5 line in a tough matchup against a good Texans pass defense. Jeffery Simmons (hamstring) and Arden Key (quad) are also active. Inactive for the Titans are: S Xavier Woods (hamstring), S Jerrick Reed II, G Drew Moss and T Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson.

Ridley hasn’t played since Week 6 because of the hamstring issue. He was listed as questionable for Week 11 after getting in three limited practices. Ridley’s return should provide a small boost to a struggling Tennessee offense, but they weren’t getting much going before he went down with the hamstring injury. Don’t expect a massive turnaround for Cam Ward and company with him back in the lineup. Ridley is nothing more than a WR4 for his first game back.