Falcons Trade with Jaguars Delayed Calvin Ridley Signing with Titans

Calvin Ridley's free agency was affected by his trade from the Atlanta Falcons in 2022.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 15, 2024

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Former Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley is on his third team in as many seasons after signing with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday.

Instead of announcing the move during the league's legal tampering period, Ridley "had to wait" until after the new league year began to announce his signing to the Titans, per ESPN.

And his trade with the Falcons was part of the reason why.

Ridley, 29, caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season with the Jaguars. However, the Jaguars' terms of their trade with the Falcons were a result of whether the team re-signed him or not.

"Per terms of the 2022 trade with Atlanta to acquire Ridley, Jacksonville's third-round pick due to Atlanta turns into a second-rounder if Jacksonville extends Ridley's contract," ESPN writes. "That's why Jacksonville would need to wait until after the new league year begins to avoid giving up a second, because at that point any deal would be a free agency signing and not an extension. But that gives Ridley time to talk with other teams during the negotiating window, unless he and Jacksonville can work out a loose agreement and wait."

It put the Jaguars in a tricky situation with Ridley's free agency. Jacksonville gambled by waiting, hoping that it would reduce the value of the pick it would send to Atlanta, but even though they were rewarded for their patience, they lost their top receiver.

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Now, the Jaguars can seek revenge when they play Ridley's Titans twice in the upcoming season.

Published Mar 15, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.