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In 2021, receiver Calvin Ridley instantly became known more for what he did off the field than for anything he had ever done on it. Now that he’s back after a full-year (and then some) gambling suspension, Ridley can get back to doing what he’d been doing before his career became derailed.
As new Jaguars teammate Jamal Agnew sees it, Ridley will be potentially derailing the careers of defensive backs.
“Just the way he moves, you can see,” Agnew recently told talkSPORT, via NFL.com. “His route running, he can run, catch anything you throw to him, he’s just different, man. You just watch him out there, he’s a mismatch nightmare. In my opinion, I don’t think anybody can guard him
in the league.”
Ridley was already on that path after three full NFL seasons. A first-round pick from Alabama, Ridley had 821 yards in 2018 and 866 yards in 2019, as the second fiddle to Julio Jones. In 2020, with Jones missing seven games, Ridley had a breakout season, generating 1,374 yards in 15 games.
Now that he’s back and still only 28 years old, Ridley could soon pick up where he left off. With receiver Christian Kirk and tight end Evan Engram attracting attention from opposing defenses and with Trevor Lawrence emerging as a franchise quarterback, Ridley’s gambling suspension might ultimately become an unfortunate (and perhaps largely forgotten) donut hole in a great career.