Star wide receiver Calvin Ridley got a big offer from the New England Patriots before he signed a lucrative contract with the Tennessee Titans.
The Patriots aggressively chased Ridley, hoping to add a dynamic playmaker to their receiving corps. ESPN’s Mike Reiss disclosed this. Many clubs, including the Patriots, were drawn to Ridley’s outstanding performance in his one and only season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he recorded 76 receptions for 1,018 yards and eight touchdowns. In order to improve their receiving options in addition to players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Tyquan Thornton, and Jalen Reagor, New England considered Ridley as a significant addition to their squad.
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The fact that Ridley had the fifth-most yards in the NFL last season (768 yards) on passes thrown outside the numbers was one of the reasons the Patriots were so hot on him. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Patriots were second to last in the NFL in 2023 in terms of receiving yards on passes thrown beyond the numbers. Last season, New England had more receiving yards (15,515) than only the Jets (1,515) on throws thrown outside the numbers. – ESPN’s Mike Reiss
Shortly after Calvin Ridley reached an agreement with Tennessee, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated disclosed that the Patriots had extended an offer to Calvin Ridley that would have paid him almost $22 million a year. The Jaguars made a somewhat lower offer, averaging slightly less than $20 million a year. The state income tax is an important consideration in these numbers; Massachusetts levies one, although Tennessee and Florida do not. The financial component is a critical factor in contract talks because this disparity can have a substantial impact on a player’s net profits.
