Calvin Ridley exited today’s game and he will not return this season. Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy announced the veteran receiver suffered a broken fibula. 
Ridley made a 10-yard catch early in Tennessee’s Week 11 game. It was immediately clear he suffered an injury on the play, however. Ridley managed to walk off the field but he was transported by cart from the sidelines to the locker room. The Titans ruled out a return shortly thereafter.
Testing has clearly revealed a major injury in short order. Today’s news ends Ridley’s second season with Tennessee and it will leave the team without a key veteran presence on offense. Entering Sunday’s game, Ridley had been averaging a career-best 18.1 yards per reception.
A third straight 1,000-yard campaign was not likely in Ridley’s case, but his absence will felt nonetheless. The 30-year-old had been a starter prior to today’s injury. The Titans elected to keep him in the fold instead of moving on via trade. Ridley’s attention will now turn to recovering in time for next season.
The former first-rounder is under contract through 2027. Ridley is already owed over $3MM in guarantees for that campaign, and he will receive a $1MM roster bonus in March. It would therefore come as no surprise if Tennessee decided to retain him through the offseason and have him reprise his role as a regular on offense despite a new regime being in place.
In the meantime, the Titans will move forward with a receiving core led by the likes of Elic Ayomanor and fellow rookie Chimere Dike. With Tyler Lockett having been released earlier in the year, this Ridley injury will leave the team short on veterans at the WR spot. Van Jefferson and tight end Chig Okonkwo will look to continue serving complementary roles through the remainder of the season as quarterback Cam Ward‘s development goes on.
Tennessee lost 16-13 to Houston in Week 11. That leaves the team at 1-9 on the year and 0-4 under McCoy. Expectations were already limited for the Titans’ offense in particular and their late-season outlook in general, but being without Ridley will deal a blow in both cases.