Is Calvin Ridley The WR1 in Jacksonville?

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley missed the entire season in 2022 after being suspended indefinitely for gambling on football.

Ridley last played for the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7 of 2021, sitting out a few weeks for personal reasons before facing his suspension.

When Ridley makes his debut in Jacksonville, he will have not played a football game in nearly two years. Is the the top receiver for the Jaguars?

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Will Calvin Ridley Play In 2023?

Ridley was reinstated to the NFL earlier this week, indicating that he will return to the field in 2023 and make his debut with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ridley posted a moving letter on the Players’ Tribune earlier today, pouring his heart out over everything he has been through in his life and expressing his desire to come back to the league. If you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you to do so.

Is Calvin Ridley the WR1 in Jacksonville?

When Ridley left the league following Week 7 of the 2021 season, he was entering his prime and was widely regarded as a top 10 receiver in the league. He enters this season at age 28 and hasn’t played football in nearly two seasons. 

Now that he’s back from his suspension, he will begin to start building a connection with his new quarterback Trevor Lawrence. If he is able to quickly get himself back into game shape, he will unquestionably be the top target in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars rode with a receiver-by-committee approach in 2022 with Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram rotating in different games as the top target for Lawrence. Kirk (WR11) and Engram (TE5) both ended the season as reliable options in fantasy.

Ridley adds another dimension to the offense. He was the WR4 in 2020, his last full season, and brings experience and explosiveness to the receiving corps. Stefon Diggs helped elevate Josh Allen to the next level in his third season and Ridley should do the same for Lawrence. 

The 2023 Jacksonville Jaguars will be the best offense Ridley has played on in his NFL career and he should be a superstar playmaker as long as he is healthy and ready to roll.

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