When asked about developing chemistry with Trevor Lawrence, Calvin Ridley prefaced his answer by giving a shoutout to Matt Ryan and the importance that relationship had on his current situation in Jacksonville.
#Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley was asked about developing chemistry with Trevor Lawrence.
He took a sec to answer and talked about Matt Ryan, how much he meant to him in his early career and how much it's helped him now with Lawrence.
"I want to shoutout Matt Ryan": pic.twitter.com/gLSk325tkF
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) September 7, 2023
By the time Ridley entered the league as a first-round pick, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones were established veterans, each willing to part wisdom on the youngster.
He probably couldn’t have gone to a better situation out of the 2018 NFL Draft. Even though it was only a few seasons, the lessons learned from two franchise greats like Ryan and Jones were invaluable. Clearly, he’s taken that to the Jaguars as he builds a rapport with Trevor Lawrence.
Ridley initially stepped away from the game of football to help his mental health in 2021, but a year-long suspension due to gambling kept him out of the entire 2022 campaign.
After missing nearly two years, he’s rejuvenated and looks as great as ever. Some described him as the star of the Jaguars’ training camp.
“Just watching him [and] the way he runs, there are not many guys like that, especially in and out of his breaks,” Trevor Lawrence said. “He’s just really crafty [and] has great ball skills.”
Ridley isn’t only impressing his quarterback, but his head coach is also positive he can return to that elite level we saw in 2020, when he caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns.
“Ridley on offense, just the way he practices is just a different speed and a different level,” Doug Pederson said. “It’s encouraging to me as a coach because it feeds to the rest of the guys, particularly the young guys. He’s one that’s really stood out there.”
I’ll always be a fan of Calvin Ridley, and it just goes to show how instrumental Matt Ryan was in his development.
—
You must log in to post a comment.