Calvin Ridley credits Matt Ryan with giving him tools to be a pro

Calvin Ridley is days away from his official to return to the NFL after nearly two years away from the game. The former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver will make his Jacksonville Jaguars debut Sunday after spending the offseason getting on the same page with his new quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

But before he hits the field with the Jaguars in Week 1, Ridley wanted to make sure he gave credit to another quarterback for giving him the tools to get up to speed with Lawrence.

“I just want to shout out Matt Ryan,” Ridley told reporters after practice Thursday, via 1010XL. “The time I had with him and just how professional he was, how he taught me, brought me, it just helps me in my older life right now.

“I’m with Trevor [Lawrence], he’s very, very similar to Matt, they always — they’re on it, they’re on it, they’re on it, but I’m also on it too. For us to get that timing and that chemistry down, we didn’t have that much time to do it, but I feel like we’re in a good spot and it’s only going to get better. But I also want to thank Matt for helping me be a pro.”

Ryan spent 14 seasons as the Falcons’ starting quarterback, earning four trips to the Pro Bowl and NFL MVP honors during his career in Atlanta. His final four seasons with the team coincided with Ridley’s first four in the NFL after the latter was picked in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.

In four years with the Falcons, Ridley caught 248 passes for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Ryan, 38, hasn’t officially retired, but is set to appear on CBS this season as an analyst.