In one of the first true surprises of the 2024 NFL free agency, All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Ridley chose to sign with the Tennessee Titans. As it turns out, Ridley’s significant other may have had a bigger role in the decision than just the money on the table.
In an interview with ESPN’s Mike Reiss, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed that Ridley told him during his free agent visit that his girlfriend wanted to continue living in the South. Kraft offered to make up the difference in taxes between Massachusetts and Tennessee, but it apparently wasn’t enough.
“Robert Kraft shares that Calvin Ridley told the Patriots his girlfriend preferred to be in the South. He said the team had been willing to make up the difference in taxes between Massachusetts and Tennessee, while acknowledging that the QB situation could have been a factor,” Reiss wrote.
Some have pointed out that Ridley is married with a daughter and probably should not have referred to her as his “girlfriend.”
That aside, the Titans made sure that Ridley was generously compensated for agreeing to stay down south. They signed him to a four-year, $92 million contract with a $20 million signing bonus and another $50 million guaranteed.
And with no state income tax in Tennessee, Ridley is going to be able to keep a much large percentage of that money than he otherwise would if he were playing in Massachusetts (albeit with a higher sales tax).
Ridley had 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023.