Titans 53-Man Roster 2025: Why a career year for Calvin Ridley should be the expectation with the Cam Ward connection in Year 2

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Titans 53-Man Roster 2025: Why a career year for Calvin Ridley should be the expectation with the Cam Ward connection in Year 2 originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
Calvin Ridley means everything to the Tennessee Titans offense, especially at the beginning of the 2025 season. But that means he needs a much hotter start than he had last fall.
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This is the third WR installment of an ongoing article series, breaking down the Titans projected 53-man roster one position at a time. Here's what we've covered so far, in case you've missed it:
In this one, we'll break down how quickly the Ridley-Ward connection can gel, and then just how dynamic it could become.
Wide Receivers
Calvin Ridley
Van Jefferson
Elic Ayomanor
Chimere Dike
Tyler Lockett
Bryce Oliver
Xavier Restrepo
Cut: James Proche, Colton Dowell, Treylon Burks, Jha'Quan Jackson, Mason Kinsey, TJ Sheffield
Ridley's Monster Potential
There are two questions to answer here: Will Cam Ward and Calvin Ridley be a dynamic duo, and if so, then just how dynamic can they be?
Let's take this one question at a time. As to whether or not Ward and Ridley will click, the jury remains out until training camp. But what I can say is that the number 1 talking point with Ridley and Levis from last summer has already been turned on its head by Ridley and Ward in spring practice. See, last summer Ridley was new to the Titans. Levis wasn't new to the team but was certainly new to getting the starter's share of practice reps. And even on his best days passing in practice, there was something missing from his connection with Ridley downfield.
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Calvin is a dynamic receiver who can win from any alignment. But his calling card is his speed, and his ability to take the top off of any defense is something the Titans rightfully want to use as much as possible. But whenever he and Will worked on perfecting their connection last summer, they never quite managed to get on the same page. We scrutinized everything: does Levis throw too flat of a deep ball? Does his arm strength hurt him on these passes? Does his accuracy just decline downfield? Is Calvin simply so much faster than the other receivers that he's difficult to adjust the timing of the throw for?
Whether those practice hiccups were the canary in the coal mine for how his season would begin, or just a simple coincidence, we may never know. But in the first month and a half, Ridley was a relative non-factor. In the first six games he averaged 2 receptions and 30.5 yds/game, scoring just one touchdown. in Weeks 3-5, he had 2 total catches for 14 yards! It was really frustrating for all involved, and it wasn't for lack of trying to get him the ball; he was targeted 14 times during that stretch. 1 yard/reception over a three week span for you WR1 is completely dysfunctional football.
But he finished the year clearing the 1K mark anyways. In fact, excluding his 2021 season where he only played five games before stepping away from football for a while, Ridley has put up three consecutive (full) seasons of 1000+ yards. He just barely reached that mark in both 2023 and 2024, clearing it by a combined 33 yards. Another worthwhile note from 2024 is that he ended up having the highest yards per route run of his career at 15.9. A ton of his production came deep down the field and late in the season. And that's where the Titans are looking for him to pick up where he left off, hopefully even finding another gear with an upgrade at QB.
When we spoke with Calvin during spring practices, he told us he's much more comfortable in this system heading into Year 2. It's a lot less thinking and adjusting for him. And as for his burgeoning connection with Cam Ward, it's been tangibly different how much smoother they feel together so far. It's still very early, and the pads haven't come on yet. But this time last year, Levis to Ridley looked hard. And right now, Ward to Ridley looks easy. Hopefully these positives manifest on the field at the same or better clip that he was playing at in the final 11 games of the year. That's when he seemingly got his sea legs in this offense, averaged 76 yds/gm with a much better completion percentage than he began the year with.
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If he produces at exactly that level for a full year, that's a 130 target, 1300yd season. Given all the expected variables, from the Cam bump in QB play, to a higher volume of passing in the offense, to improved general offensive production, to the uncertainty with the rest of the WR room... I don't think that stat line is too lofty an expectation at all. Year 2 should be a big year for Ridley as a Titan. Good thing, because the team needs it to be.
Related: Dolphins trade rumors could open the door for two Titans to be on the trade block following blockbuster Jalen Ramsey trade
Related: Titans 53-Man Roster 2025: The WR roster lock you don't know about, the battle for the seventh spot, and the fate of the rest
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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.