The New York Jets aren’t going into the offseason with a ton of cap room, but they plan on making a big splash for Aaron Rodgers with what the limited finances they do have.
Connor Hughes of SNY made an appearance on WFAN’s “Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata Show” this week and said that the Jets plan on pursuing Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency this March.
“I think it’s going to be, I’m going to go a little bit wild, I think it’s going to be Calvin Ridley. The Jets are pretty high on him,” Hughes said. “Calvin Ridley was a guy when he was being traded from the Falcons, the Jets were all over it. They loved him, they made calls, they were in on him, [and] they wanted to make a deal.”
Spotrac is projecting Ridley to sign a four-year, $68.2 million deal this offseason.
Hughes adds that the New York was interested in Ridley before the wide out was suspending for gambling on games in March 2022 when he was still with Atlanta.
“They did all of their background and checked every box [on his prior issues],” Hughes explained. “The problem with him is when they called the Falcons to try and get something done, the Falcons said hey he’s not available. It’s because they didn’t want to deal in bad faith. Basically, trade this guy for a second-round pick and oh surprise he is suspended for a year. They [the Falcons] didn’t want to do that.”
Ridley was ultimately traded to the Jaguars in November 2022 and was reinstated from his suspension in February 2023.
The 29-year-old enjoyed a spectacular bounceback campaign this year, hauling in 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns.
If the Jets are able to strike a deal to land Ridley, it would give them a dynamic duo of Ridley and Garrett Wilson in the passing game. With Rodgers returning from his Achilles injury, that would give New York one of the NFL’s best aerial attacks on paper.
Of course, whether or not the Jets will be able to afford Ridley remains to be seen, but the idea of Ridley and Wilson catching passes from Aaron Rodgers is tantalizing, to say the least.
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