Calvin Ridley Drops Major Hint He Wants to Play for Chicago Bears

There isn’t much debate going into the 2018 NFL draft. Alabama standout Calvin Ridley is the best wide receiver by a comfortable margin.

The issue at hand isn’t whether he’ll go in the 1st round. That’s all but a foregone conclusion. It’s a matter of where he’ll go. At this point nobody is certain. His ability is unquestioned. He’s got decent size, plenty of speed, good quickness and runs sharp routes. He’s the sort of receiver quarterbacks can trust to make the big catch when needs. He compares favorably with another former Alabama star in Amari Cooper. So what’s the problem?

Namely, it’s his age. Ridley is already 23-years old. He turns 24 during the 2018 season. That is a bit old the older side than many teams would prefer for a high 1st round pick. They want a player who holds the promise of a long career. Ridley would be approaching 29-years old by the time his rookie contract could expire. Not ideal. At the same time if a teams’ need for a receiver were strong enough they still might pull the trigger. Is there one?

Well if Ridley himself had a choice, he has one in mind.

Ridley would solve a giant problem for the Bears

Some might see this as a clever troll job by Ridley, a way for him to keep his name involved in the top 10. However, that’s not the case. Ridley has made it clear since as early as 2016 that he wants to play for Chicago since he grew up a Bears fan. The fact they’re in dire need of wide receiver help is merely a happy coincidence. Indeed they finished this season dead last in passing. Their best target was Kendall Wright who managed just 614 yards.

There is no question Ridley could help that problem. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine GM Ryan Pace would take that risk. As mentioned before the age issue is hard to ignore. Also, there is the lingering memory of Kevin White from back in 2015. He’s turned into one of the biggest busts the Bears have had in years. Pace may not want to stake such an important draft on another receiver, even one considerably more polished and experienced like Ridley.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: QB Desperation Brings Lots of Trades

A lot will depend on the impression Ridley makes over the next couple months. Perhaps he can sway teams his direction in the combine and interview process. That seems to be where the Bears have held a lot of weight in years past.