Pro Football Rumors
The Titans have undergone multiple regime changes in recent years, and an interim head coach (Mike McCoy) is in place for the remainder of the year. A seller’s stance at the trade deadline should be expected, and multiple players could soon be dealt.
Jeffery Simmons is among the veterans considered untouchable, but the same is not true of Calvin Ridley. The latter has already been linked to trade interest on the part of the Steelers, and a market including other suitors could exist in his case. Ridley is available “for the right price,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Meanwhile, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio goes as far as to state Tennessee is “trying to” move the eighth-year receiver.
It would come as no surprise if the Titans were to deal away one or more notable players over the coming days, but it remains to be seen if Ridley will be among them. ESPN’s Turron Davenport clarifies the team is not actively shopping Ridley, though he adds Tennessee has indeed received calls about the 30-year-old. Many of the players on the block are pending free agents, but that is not the case for Ridley.
The former first-rounder signed a four-year, $92MM pact last offseason to serve as the focal point of Tennessee’s passing game. Ridley posted the third overall and second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign of his career in 2024, but he has not been as productive this year. Struggles on offense with rookie quarterback Cam Ward helped contribute to head coach Brian Callahan‘s dismissal and explain (at least to a degree) the downturn in Ridley’s 2025 output.
The former Falcon and Jaguar would be a useful addition to any contending team, but finances will be an issue in working out a deal. Ridley is attached to a $22.49MM base salary for this season, and absorbing the prorated remainder of that figure would be challenging without Tennessee retaining a notable portion. The Titans would take on dead money charges this season and next thanks to the remaining guarantees on Ridley’s pact, which contains notable cap figures in 2026 and ’27.
There are plenty of unanswered questions with respect to the receiver trade market at this point. One or more rentals could easily be on the move shortly, but Ridley is also worth watching in advance of Tuesday afternoon’s deadline.
