Christian Kirk: Ridley ‘Brings Up The Level’
Jacksonville Jaguars star Christian Kirk says the addition of fellow WR Calvin Ridley will raise the standards of the team.
Ridley was traded from the Falcons to add to a Jaguars team which enjoyed a remarkable turnaround last season.
Jacksonville started 4-8 but clawed back towards a 9-8 regular season record and the AFC South title. Christian Kirk says the players must guard against complacency in order to improve.
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“He’s been great, just his intensity, how he’s approached every day, the extra effort and time he puts into his craft and taking care of his body,” Christian Kirk said of Ridley.Â
“Everybody has seen the way he approaches practice and the way he competes. It just brings up the level of competition in our room and our standard. If you’re coming out here and you’re maybe a little sore, a little tired, and you got a guy like that out there, running at full speed and performing at a high level. Naturally, it brings everybody up.”
Kirk enjoyed the best season of his career for Jacksonville in 2022. He had team bests and career highs of 84 receptions, 1,108 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The 5th-year WR says the players must hold each other accountable heading into 2023.
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“I think it’s challenging, but when you have the right guys in the locker room, a part of your team that are able to come out on a day-to-day basis and push another to hold each other to our standard, I think it’s a little easier,” Kirk said.Â
“It’s easy to get laxed and you know the system and what you’re trying to do, but we know how good we can be, and we know how good we are. When you come out here and don’t show it, it can get really frustrating for guys that are trying to play at a high level. We all just hold each other to our standard and make sure we’re bringing guys with us if they’re having a lackluster day.”
