In the months leading up to the 2024 NFL regular season, much of the discussion around the Patriots’ offseason was their pursuit of a big name wide receiver.
The first target of the offseason was Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley, who was coming off a nice redemption tour during his one year in Jacksonville and was looking to make top-dollar on the open market.
The Patriots, along with the Jaguars, were heavily reported as the two final teams in the bidding for Ridley, but ultimately a mystery team swooped in, and got a deal done with the 29-year-old receiver.
That mystery team was the Tennessee Titans, who gave Ridley a four-year, $92 million deal, with $50 million guaranteed.
A few weeks after the signing, Patriots owner Robert Kraft was on the record at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando saying Ridley’s “girlfriend” (meaning to say wife) was the main reason the second-team All-Pro wideout signed in Tennessee over New England, saying she “wanted to be in the South.”
Kraft went on to say that the tax rates in Massachusetts were also a factor, but that the team was willing to pay more to offset what Ridley would lose to Uncle Sam. On top of the taxes, he also mentioned the team’s uncertainty at quarterback as possibly playing a role.
"We had a situation where the taxes were like, almost 10% higher [in Massachusetts, compared to Tennessee],” Kraft told the media in March. “We offered, or were willing to keep going at that premium, but he didn't want to be in the Northeast. And part of it might be the quarterback situation, as well."
Regardless of the reasons, Ridley signed elsewhere, and it’s clear that the highest levels of the organization were miffed by this whiff from the front office.
Fast forward to Week 9 of the regular season, and the 2-6 Patriots are headed on the road to take on the 1-6 Titans.
While Ridley has had a disappointing season in Tennessee, he’s coming off his best game as a Titan thus far - one that saw him grab 10 balls for 143 yards on 15 targets, including a 47-yard catch that was reminiscent of the big-play ability he has shown throughout his entire career.
The juxtaposition of this performance with the five dropped passes we saw from Patriots receivers in Week 8 further underscores why Robert Kraft wanted Eliot Wolf to get this deal done back in March.
Now, the Patriots have Ridley on tap. And they haven’t been shy about highlighting his talent.
“There's no question, as you go through the film, #0, Ridley, there's no question why he was one of the top free agents, and everyone wanted an opportunity to have him on their roster,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told the media before practice on Wednesday.
“This is a guy who is heavily targeted. At the same time, he's open a lot on film, sometimes doesn't get the ball, but he is open a lot on film, and that's going to be a challenge.”
On Thursday, it was defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington singing the praises of Ridley at the podium.
“Obviously, he’s a go-to guy,” said Covington. “When you turn on the tape from last week, it’s about getting Calvin Ridley the ball. And he’s a guy that definitely, you know, that the offense - between him and the two running backs - those are the players that make this offense go.
“He has the ability to run every route. He’s fast, he’s quick. You know, he can get separation. He blocks in the running game. I mean, I would say he’s a complete receiver when you can line him up anywhere on the field, and he can separate and get the ball when it’s in the air. So definitely a go-to guy, and that offense runs through him.”
The Patriots clearly remain enamored with Ridley’s talent, and that’s almost certainly fueled further by the week-by-week disappointments coming out of their receiver room.
“Where do you stand on that group, and where they are right now?” Chris Price of The Boston Globe asked Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt ahead of practice on Thursday.
“Yeah, they’re disappointed,” said Van Pelt. “You know, there’s no question that’s a group that, you know, that we expect more out of. You know, just handling the football, I think, is the biggest thing, you know?
“Drops come in bunches, catches come in bunches. So my message to them was to keep working, you know, ‘You’re lifelong receivers, you catch the ball for a living. So it’s nothing new for you guys. So just focus on the next rep, focus on how to get better during the week of practice.’ Ultimately, we’re gonna be throwing the ball to those guys. They’re gonna make plays for us moving forward.
“You know, they’re as disappointed as anybody at the way they handled the ball on Sunday, but expect better out of them, for sure.”
Disappointed in themselves or not, the noise around the mediocrity of this unit will only increase on Sunday if the Patriots’ white whale has another big game while footballs continue to bounce off hands for New England.