Cam Ward has been practicing with the Tennessee Titans only a few weeks, but he already has identified one player who might be the secret to his success.
“That man’s a dog,” Ward said of wide receiver Calvin Ridley. “I’m blessed to play with him, he’s going to make me look good.”
Speaking to reporters after practice at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park on June 3, Ward spoke well of all his receivers, but was especially impressed with Ridley’s presence and abilities on the field.
“He can run against press man, he knows zone. I think he’s one of the top five receivers in the NFL, if not the best,” Ward said.
Ridley, who caught 64 passes for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns last season, is entering his second year with Tennessee and his seventh season overall in the NFL. His proven ability to catch balls consistently — he has five seasons with at least 60 receptions since being drafted in the first round in 2018 — is something Ward has seen in action during practice.
“I threw (Ridley) a little back shoulder throw and he one-hand snagged it,” Ward said. “He’s used to doing that, but it was clean. He’s the ultimate competitor.”
The good news for Ward? Ridley seems to be instantly connecting with the Titans‘ rookie quarterback.
What Calvin Ridley thinks about Titans’s rookie QB Cam Ward so far
Ridley is expected to be the Titans’ top wide receiver target this year. That assumption was made clear when Tennessee moved on from Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Tyler Boyd, who had the second- and third-most receptions among Titans wide receivers last season.
Though the team signed veterans Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson, and added two receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft, there’s no question Ridley is the leader. What he thinks about Ward matters the most.
“I see a great arm, a great mind,” Ridley said of Ward. “Someone who believes he can make most throws and knows he can make the throws. Nice release. He can fit the ball pretty much wherever he wants.”
During drills, the two connect frequently. Often the connections are on short or intermediate routes, but the two have hit on deep routes more than once.
“From day one that I met him, I knew he was going to be in the (play)book, trying to get on top of it early. And that’s what we want,” Ridley said.
Ridley also sees Ward’s communication skills and dedication to getting plays right as something that will help their chemistry grow.
“We’re pretty close, I’m not going to lie,” Ridley said. “We can take the talks that we have about football to the field. Like the throw we missed today, we hit it again, we did it three or four times after. Now we got it. We are ready for the next practice. We can’t wait to run that play again.”
Last season, it took Ridley time to adjust to the Titans’ new offense under then first-year coach Brian Callahan. He had only 12 receptions for 183 yards and one touchdown in the team’s first six games before finally getting into a groove around Week 8 against the Detroit Lions, when he had 10 receptions for 143 yards.
“It’s more just getting on the same page (with Ward),” Ridley said. “I honestly want to hear what he thinks. I want to be in the spot where he wants me. So I ask him first, what did I do wrong on a throw or a catch? What do I need to do to make you feel better? That’s pretty much what we are doing. It’s easy to relate to him. Fun, easy to talk ball with. I just like him a lot.”
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.