Calvin Ridley Blamed Chipotle for Losing 15 Pounds The Titans WR Might Want a New Lunch Spot
Calvin Ridley walked into Titans training camp fifteen pounds lighter than he should have been. He knows exactly who to blame.
The Tennessee wide receiver revealed Saturday that he came down with a 24-hour stomach bug during the offseason that stripped weight off him in a hurry. When reporters asked what caused it, Ridley did not hesitate. Chipotle, he said, adding that he has already gained the weight back and is fully ready for the season.
Calvin Ridley with a Chipotle stray, as Buck Reising of Nashville Sports Radio put it. That is one way to put a fast food chain on notice.
Chipotle has a long and complicated history with NFL wide receivers. Antonio Brown once famously blamed the burrito chain for a health scare. Now Ridley is joining the club. Whether the food actually did the damage or the timing was just unfortunate, it is not a great look for a brand that already had its issues with food safety a few years back.
The bigger story here is what a healthy Ridley means for the Titans. Tennessee finished 3-14 last season. It was a disaster. Ridley played in just seven games because of injuries and never got into any kind of rhythm. That was a huge letdown for a team that gave him a big-money deal and expected him to be a No. 1 receiver.
Two years ago, in his first year with the Titans, Ridley caught 64 passes for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns. That is the version Tennessee needs back. That is the guy who was one of the most feared route runners in the league before he took his year away from football and came back with the Jaguars.
The Titans have some questions at quarterback and a young roster trying to figure out what it is. What they cannot afford is another lost year from their supposed WR1. If Ridley shows up healthy and puts together a full 17-game slate, Tennessee has a chance to be interesting again.
If he does not, and if the injuries or the stomach bugs or the anything else keeps popping up, then this rebuild is going to take even longer than anyone thought.
For now, Ridley says he feels good. He is back at his playing weight. He is out on the practice field. And he is apparently done with burritos.
Maybe he switches to Cava. Maybe he learns to cook at home. Either way, the Titans need him on the field for 17 games. Everything else is just seasoning.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
