Getty Wide receiver Calvin Ridley of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrates a play during an NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs in September 2023.
The Chicago Bears offense hasn’t progressed as the team had hoped, which begs the question of what the front office can do to improve its prospects long-term?
Justin Fields has struggled in 2023 but is still highly-skilled physically and likely to remain the quarterback for at least the next couple of years. The Bears also have their top two running backs on rookie contracts. The offensive line is a problem, but when it comes to skill positions, adding a new wide receiver to the mix feels like a logical step — especially with Chase Claypool being asked to stay home from the team’s game at Soldier Field last weekend against the Denver Broncos, and both Claypool and Darnell Mooney bound for free agency in March.
After an 0-4 start, Chicago currently owns the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Bears also have the No. 2 pick currently, which will convey from the Carolina Panthers via a trade made last offseason. Shopping for a big-play wideout ahead of the October 31 deadline doesn’t make much sense for Chicago, as getting considerably better now only hurts the Bears’ 2024 draft prospects.
That said, Chicago is poised to head into next spring with a boatload of salary cap space and can take a swing at pairing another premier wide receiver alongside D.J. Moore. Perhaps the top option in this regard is current Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Calvin Ridley.
Calvin Ridley Offers Bears Quality Fit Alongside D.J. Moore
GettyWide receiver Calvin Ridley of the Jacksonville Jaguars makes a catch during an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons in October 2023.
Bleacher Report’s NFL Staff on Monday, October 2, authored a free-agent pitch that advised Chicago to pursue Ridley next March.
In addition to the line, part of the Bears’ issues offensively is rooted in their receiving corps. … The front office needs to inject some talent out wide and go for a big fish.
Ridley projects to be one of the top receivers available this offseason, and his combination of size and speed could make him Chicago’s No. 1 free-agent target. He’s also still under 30 years old and would allow D.J. Moore to take more reps in the slot, where Moore was effective in Carolina.
The league suspended Ridley for the entirety of the 2022 campaign for gambling on NFL games. Shortly after his return, the Atlanta Falcons dealt Ridley to Jacksonville, where the receiver signed a one-year contract worth $10.9 million.
Calvin Ridley Has Made Splash Upon Return to NFL
GettyWide receiver Calvin Ridley of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs with the ball during an NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts in September 2023.
While it is something of a stretch to call Ridley a breakout player in his fifth professional season — which would have been his sixth absent the suspension — his relatively explosive return to the NFL scene supports that narrative.
Ridley has caught 15 passes for 211 yards and 2 touchdowns through his first four games of 2023, per Pro Football Reference. If he continues on that pace and plays all 17 games, Ridley will finish the campaign with 64 catches for approximately 900 yards and between 8-9 touchdowns.
Sixty-four receptions would tie for the second-most of Ridley’s career, while 900 yards would stand alone as his second-best campaign in that category. The wideout hauled in 90 passes for 1,374 yards in 2020. Assuming Ridley can score 9 TDs, that number would also tie for the second-most of his career.
Playing next season at the age of 29, Ridley’s skill-set and career trajectory fit the Bears’ timeline for Fields — or potentially for a rookie QB who takes his first snaps in 2024 should Chicago decide to go in another direction after this season.
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Bears Urged to Pursue $11 Million Breakout Wide Receiver