Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is more than willing to talk about how he’s feeling.
“I’m upset. I’m very upset. I didn’t expect this, but I’m moving on,” Ridley told reporters on Sept. 24. “Trying my best to move on from the past weeks. I’m excited for the new opportunity. Thank God I have another game in front of me. I’m very upset.”
Ridley, signed by the Titans in 2024, has hardly lived up to his reputation or contract three weeks into the 2025 season. He has caught only eight of the 21 passes thrown his way for 111 yards, and he has been credited with a league-leading four drops. His drop rate is 19%, more than 2% higher than any other player who’s been targeted at least 20 times this season.
He caught some flak from fans at Nissan Stadium for his struggles in the Titans’ Week 3 loss to the Colts, especially after he failed to make a play in traffic on the goal line against man coverage for what would’ve been a touchdown if Ridley had been able to complete the catch through traffic.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Titans coach Brian Callahan likened Ridley’s situation to a batter in baseball going through a slump, and said sometimes the key to handling a situation like this is simply reminding the player of who they are. In this case, it’s reminding Ridley that he’s a former first-round pick, a college national champion and a three-time 1,000-yard receiver in the NFL.
Hearing that didn’t necessarily inspire the warm fuzzies within Ridley.
“Honestly that makes me more mad than anything, because I know that,” he said. “I’m not a guy who needs to hear that all the time. But that just pisses me off because I know who I am. I just ain’t did it yet.”
The Titans (0-3) visit the AFC South rival Houston Texans (0-3) in a battle of two desperate teams at NRG Stadium on Sept. 28 (noon CT, CBS). Ridley’s likely to draw attention from cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., one of the league’s premier cover corners. But battling against top corners hasn’t dissuaded Titans quarterback Cam Ward from throwing Ridley’s way before; Ward targeted Ridley eight times in Week 1 against Denver, an afternoon where Ridley was frequently trailed by reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II.
Watching tape from that game and from the Titans’ other two losses to start the year has been a challenge for Ridley. He says he’s frustrated looking back at the way he’s played, and he’s made slight tweaks to his preparation routine to try to fix some of his issues. Mainly, he’s catching passes off machines and taking extra reps with Ward post-practice to hone in on his issues.
Because he’s very much not pleased.
“It’s hard to watch some of the (expletive) I put on film,” Ridley said. “But I’m moving forward for sure. I’m excited. I had a nice day today. Come back tomorrow, have another nice day and bring my goodness to the game somehow.”
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Calvin Ridley ‘very upset,’ voicing frustrations before Titans vs Texans
