With the bye week over, the Titans returned to the field to take on the Houston Texans. And with that, the Titans were waiting for some players who were nicked up to return. Calvin Ridley was one of those players the Titans were waiting on to come back after he missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. Having him back in the lineup gave the Titans another weapon and a guy quarterback Cam Ward had a great connection with, dating back to the offseason. But just as soon as he got back, he is out again and this time for the year. After catching a pass on the first offensive possession for the Tennessee Titans, Ridley was tackled awkwardly by a Texans defender. He limped off the field, immediately went to a cart and was taken to the locker room. After the game, Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy announced that Ridley would be out for the rest of the year with a broken fibula. So, with that being said, the question now comes: Is this the last we have seen of Calvin Ridley in a Titans uniform?
When the Titans signed Calvin Ridley to the four-year, $92 million deal back in the 2024 offseason, they outbid AFC South foe for his services and paid him handsomely, including $50 million guaranteed in his deal. But where there is a will, there is a way to get out of any deal. After all, it is the NFL, where most deals are not fully guaranteed. With the deal the Titans signed Ridley to, they would be able to cut him and designate him as a Post-June 1st cut, saving roughly $18.7 million in cap space. On the flip side of that, they would be $8 million in dead cap space.
The Titans are currently a team trying to replenish their roster, and there are needs at multiple spots. They currently have $108 million in projected salary cap space, even with Calvin Ridley still on the roster next year. Without him, that adds $10 million, provided they waive him post-June 1st. That creates even more cap space to build this roster. And with where the Titans are projected to be in the draft, they could potentially add that top-flight wide receiver they are looking for to add to their young talents at the position, like Elic Ayomanor and Chim Dike, along with someone to build a rapport with Ward.
The offseason is not too far away for the Tennessee Titans, and there are plenty of decisions to be made. Ridley is just one of them. But with his injury, that could be it for him in two-tone blue.