2022 marked the year that the Green Bay Packers would renovate their wide-receiving corps in a big way.
And Calvin Ridley was supposedly a part of their plan.
According to Kurt Benkert, who spent a season on the practice squad and occasionally operated as the third-string quarterback in Green Bay, the Packers pursued a trade for the then-27-year-old in the spring following the conclusion of the 2021 campaign. Ridley, a former first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, was coming off of a season in which he played just five games prior to stepping away due to what he cited as mental health reasons.
When I was in Green Bay, I was told that the Packers had inquired about trading for Calvin Ridley prior to his suspension, but ultimately decided not to when his status went up in the air.
He could have really elevated that offense and would have been a good fit for all the…
Packers Were Hesitant After Ridley’s Suspension
The Falcons had just picked up the fifth-year option in the promising wideout’s contract the year prior, essentially opening the window for what could have evolved into a long-term extension with the team. However, he was suspended indefinitely through the conclusion of the 2022 season after the league discovered he had bet on games in 2021 — including games played by the Falcons.
This not only derailed Ridley’s blossoming career, but it instilled pause in Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. He backed off and Ridley would remain in Atlanta through the bulk of his suspension before being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in November in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in the ensuing draft and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick. The sixth was upgraded to a fifth because Ridley was reinstated and the fourth can either elevate to a third if he meets a certain number of snaps this season or a second if he inks a long-term contract extension with the Jaguars.
The Packers, meanwhile, didn’t just sit on their hands.
Growing Pains Were Inevitable — and Necessary — for Packers’ Young Roster
Shortly after Ridley was suspended, they traded All-Pro wideout — and arguably one of their most valuable assets — Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. They recouped a first and second-round pick in the deal that they’d use to select Georgia linebacker Quay Walker at No. 22 overall and Christian Watson at No. 34. They packaged a pair of second-round picks — Nos. 53 and 59 — in a deal with the Minnesota Vikings that allowed them to move back up in the second round and bring aboard North Dakota State’s Watson.
They’d also draft Romeo Doubs in the fourth round and Samori Toure in the seventh. It wasn’t quite the haul that the Packers perhaps envisioned as they entered what was likely to be Aaron Rodgers’ final season with the team, nor did they take solace in the growing pains that would plague the team en route to missing the playoffs. But in the midst of the well-documented youth movement in Green Bay, there’s also no guarantee that Ridley would’ve masked some of the problems the Packers are experiencing in the post-Rodgers era.
Penalties, incorrect routes, poor protection — it’s a concoction that’s culminated in a 2-3 start to the season for Jordan Love and company.
“A lot of inconsistent play,” said head coach Matt LaFleur on Wednesday, October 18. “There are certain things that, as a play-caller, you’re disappointed with yourself in terms of putting guys in certain situations. It’s just been very choppy. We haven’t been able to get into a consistent rhythm. The early-down execution has put us into some get-back-on-track situations and that’s really where we’ve struggled in terms of — we’ve had a ton of third-and-longs.
“It’s hard to have success in this league if you’re living in third-and-10-plus.”
Enduring the struggles is critical for such a young roster, but these struggles could hang over the Packers’ heads for much of the season. It doesn’t help that Watson has played in just two games this season after being shelved for the first three contests with a hamstring injury that occurred over the summer. Aaron Jones, the Packers’ prolific starting running back, sustained a hamstring injury of his own in the season opener and the team still doesn’t have a real handle on it. He returned for just 20 offensive snaps in the Packers’ September 28 meeting with the Detroit Lions, however, he hasn’t been back on the field since. There’s optimism that he’ll be back at full capacity for Sunday’s clash with the Denver Broncos, but it would be wise not to hold your breath.
Ridley’s Stint in Jacksonville Has Been Sporadic, As Expected
In Jacksonville, Ridley hasn’t exactly been as advertised. He’s coming off of a game in which he recorded just one reception for five yards against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football, but there was an expectation that it would take some time for him to truly establish himself. It had been nearly two full calendar years since he last played a regular-season game, and yet, he still has a pair of 100-yard performances under his belt this season.
It’s a far cry from the player fans had grown accustomed to seeing in his four years with the Falcons. He had accumulated 3,342 yards from 248 receptions and 28 touchdowns. His showcase in 2020 earned him Second-team All-Pro honors as he set career-highs in catches (90), yards (1,374) and yards per reception (15.3).
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Packers Explored Trade for All-Pro WR in 2022, Says Former QB