Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley last played in an NFL game in October 2021 and he hasn’t taken part in a full NFL practice the last couple of years either, so every progression in the team’s offseason program represents a big step back toward the field.
Monday brought another of those steps. The team began the OTA phase of the offseason and Ridley’s play drew positive reviews from media members who were on hand for the workout.
Ridley’s approach to his return to work after 2021’s mental health issues and 2022’s gambling suspension has also drawn a positive response from offensive coordinator Press Taylor.
“I’ve been really impressed with Calvin,” Taylor said, via John Shipley of SI.com. “I’ve watched every snap Calvin’s played in the NFL, just like a lot of our guys have. So we’re very confident in the player we’re gettingAnd then to be able to meet him in person, we’ve had a lot of people that vouched for him, obviously going back to when we acquired him, but the work he’s put in this offseason has been impressive just in terms of meaning the extra work he does. And you can tell he is doing it because he comes in the next day, he’s got his list of questions, and they’re very thought out. You can tell he’s peeked ahead of the install or just looking a couple of days ahead as we go on. So he’s done a great job, just intermixing with the group and making his own role.”
Before his career was interrupted, Ridley was showing signs of being a top-flight NFL wideout. If he picks up where he left off, the Jaguars offense should be in fine shape this fall.
