Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson excused most veterans from the team’s mandatory minicamp, but one veteran who’s there is wide receiver Calvin Ridley, whom Pederson praised for his approach to everything this offseason.
Ridley hasn’t played since Week Six of the 2021 season after first taking a mental health leave from the Falcons and then getting suspended for all of 2022 for betting on games during that leave. But Pederson said Ridley has shown a commitment to the Jaguars and to doing everything the right way.
“One of the things I really find, and the respect I have for Calvin, is just the communication he’s had with us, and us with him. I make that a point, to be open and honest with all the players, especially a veteran player of his caliber. He’s excited to be here, he wanted to be here, he’s not going anywhere. He now lives in Jacksonville, Florida, so it’s good to see him here as well,” Pederson said.
Ridley was a first-round pick of the Falcons out of Alabama in 2018, and in his last full season, 2020, he had 90 catches for 1,374 yards. If he can return to that level of play this season, he’ll be one of the biggest new acquisitions that any NFL team made for the 2023 season. Pederson thinks Ridley is trending toward getting there.