ROBERT KRAFT CLAIMS CALVIN RIDLEY’S WIFE IS THE REASON THE PATRIOTS DIDN’T SIGN THE STAR WR AS A FREE AGENT. IS THAT REALLY ACCURATE? (KF)

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft claims that Dominique Fitchard, the wife of Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley, is a key reason why his club missed out on the superstar pass-catcher in free agency.

The Titans stunned the football world by landing Calvin Ridley on a massive four-year contract in free agency worth $92 million, with $50 million of it coming in guaranteed money. Along with Kirk Cousins ($180 million), Christian Wilkins ($110 million) and Robert Hunt ($100 million), Ridley is one of four players who signed a deal worth over $90 million in free agency.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Kraft stated that the Patriots pushed hard to land Ridley in free agency. But according to the Pats owner, Fitchard’s preference to stay in the south was a factor in Ridley’s decision to choose Tennessee over New England, via NBC Sports Boston:
“It was not because of finance. It was made clearly his girlfriend wanted to be in the south, and we had a situation with the taxes were like 10 percent higher (in Massachusetts compared to Tennessee)…we were willing to keep going at that premium. But he didn’t want to be in the Northeast, and part of that might be the quarterback situation as well.”

Correcting Kraft here, Fitchard is the wife of Ridley. The two tied the knot in 2020, and they have two daughters together.

During the glorious dynasty days, it wasn’t hard for the Patriots to bring in big-named starts on discounted rates in free agency. But the Pats have been among football’s worst teams since Tom Brady’s departure in 2020, and the organization just doesn’t appeal to free agents as much as before.

In going to Tennessee, Calvin Ridley is paying considerably less taxes while getting the chance to shine with Will Levis, DeAndre Hopkins and DeAndre Hopkins on offense.

Calvin Ridley’s Career Stats

Ridley was handed a season-long suspension by the NFL in 2022 for violating the league’s policy on gambling. Before that, he was coming into his own as one of the best pass-catchers in the game.

Ridley had a career year in 2020 with 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. For his career, Ridley has 324 receptions for 4,358 yards and 36 touchdowns in 66 NFL games over five seasons played.