Titans WR Calvin Ridley wants to 'chirp' in his return to Jacksonville to face his former team

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Calvin Ridley was relatively quiet at EverBank Stadium in 2023.

He caught 31 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns in eight games in Jacksonville last season. He was held to 40 yards or fewer in seven of those.

He’s looking for better results when he returns to face his former team Sunday. And Tennessee’s leading receiver has a little extra motivation stemming from the teams’ previous meeting, a 10-6 loss to the Jaguars three weeks ago.

“I got to get them; I want to get them,” Ridley said Thursday. “… I want to beat them. They talked (trash) to me last time. I really wasn’t listening, but they stopped me a couple times and I just heard chirping. I want to chirp.”

Ridley has 56 receptions for 857 yards and four touchdowns after signing a four-year, $92 million contract with the Titans in March. The deal included $50 million guaranteed.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) sacks Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell (12) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

He caught seven passes for 59 yards in the first meeting with Jacksonville (3-12). He also mistakenly ran out of bounds after gaining 2 yards on a third-and-5 play with a little more than a minute remaining. Ridley probably could have picked up the first down, but he stepped out at the 9-yard line and left the Titans facing an all-of-nothing try. Will Levis threw incomplete on fourth down.

Ridley can redeem himself Sunday — with a different quarterback. The Titans (3-12) have since switched from Levis to Mason Rudolph to close coach Brian Callahan’s first season in Nashville.

Ridley has 21 receptions for 336 yards and a score in Rudolph’s four starts.

“He’s a great player, a special player,” Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown said of Ridley. “He can take it the long haul every play. You’ve just got to keep your eyes on him, and you’ve got to know where he’s at. Man, they’re looking for him to get the ball, and we’ve got to stop him.”

Ridley’s return is one of the few story lines in a game with no postseason implications aside from setting the 2025 NFL draft order.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph (11) warms up before an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

“Calvin is a great guy on and off the field,” Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said. “The way he plays is the way he practices. Off the field, he’s probably one of the best guys in the locker room; he’s not a cancer to the team. I’ve respected Calvin as a person and a player, to see the hard work that he’s put in from the trials that he’s went through.”

Battle of backup QBs

The Jaguars are playing Mac Jones because Trevor Lawrence is out for the season. The Titans are choosing to start Rudolph because of Will Levis’ penchant for turnovers. The second-year quarterback has 17 turnovers, including 12 interceptions.

“I’m ready to prove that I can take care of the ball better and keep scoring points,” Rudolph said.

Tennessee’s ground test

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones, left, takes down Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Luke Farrell during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

The Titans are coming off their worst performance against the run since 1961. They gave up 335 yards and 6.7 yards a carry at Indianapolis last week. They held Jacksonville to 26 yards rushing three weeks ago. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson knows the Jaguars will test them early.

“We got to put the fire out,” Wilson said.

Turning to Wingard

The Jaguars will have a new starting safety in Andrew Wingard, who is stepping in for Darnell Savage (concussion). Wingard finished with three pass breakups last week after replacing Savage early in the game.

“It’s weird. It’s hard with the season being over,” said Wingard, who missed the first nine games with a knee injury. “But you can’t ever slow down. It’s good to go put out tape and to show I’ve overcome the injury and it’s not hindering me.”

No tanking here

The Titans are two losses away from matching their most in a season since 2014. They already are in position for their highest draft pick since selecting No. 5 overall in 2017.

But two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons has no patience for anyone who thinks the team should tank its final two games to improve its draft spot.

“Get me out of here,” Simmons said in response to a question about potentially benching him down the stretch. “I mean, I don’t want to be a part of no tanking situation. I understand it, trying to get a draft pick. But at the end of the day, I’m not here to lose games.”

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AP Pro Football Writer Teresa Walker contributed from Nashville.

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