Jaguars HC provides Calvin Ridley update fans will want to hear
The Jacksonville Jaguars can't wait to see what Calvin Ridley brings to the table on offense when the season starts. Trading for him at a discount in November of last year while the rising wide receiver was suspended was always a long-term, value investment and now dividend day is quickly approaching. But buying stocks is […]
The Jacksonville Jaguars can't wait to see what Calvin Ridley brings to the table on offense when the season starts. Trading for him at a discount in November of last year while the rising wide receiver was suspended was always a long-term, value investment and now dividend day is quickly approaching.
But buying stocks is all about patience. And the Jaguars know they must be careful with how they handle Ridley's workload. During last week's Monday practice, Ridley came out during a couple of position team drills, raising a few eyebrows.
"A little bit," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson replied when asked if it was about acclimating him to the system. "That and just want to be careful with him. He hasn't played in a while plus the injury. We're just trying to be careful with."
The last time the new Jaguars wide receiver played in a football game happened on October 24th, 2021. It's been 583 days since then. It'll be over 100 days more than that when the Jags' season kicks off against the Indianapolis Colts on September 10th.
The Jaguars understand pushing the limits on a player in his situation would be unwise. Even more so due to Ridley's own intensity in practice.
"He's the type of guy you have to kind of pump the brakes with," Pederson added. "He wants to go so much and so fast and so hard out there that we just have to pump the brakes and just tell him now is not the time."
The Jaguars head coach confirmed Ridley being pulled out of practice last week was not injury related, which should go a long way in easing any concern fans might've had after hearing practice reports. Right now, it's about caution, explained Pederson.
When training camp starts, however, it will be a full go for Ridley as he tries to compete with Christian Kirk for "WR1" status. While they can be deployed differently in Pederson's offense, one of them will have to be the guy. After a successful and productive 1,108-yard year in 2022, Kirk isn't about to make things easy for the newcomer.
"No sign of rust," Pederson said of Ridley. It should be a fun battle.
