Bears fans – and Bears Twitter, specifically – have a special soft spot in their hearts for Riley Ridley, so you all are going to love this.
Talking with media on Wednesday afternoon, Bears' wide receiver coach Mike Furrey was asked to evaluate Riley Ridley's NFL career up to this point. Ridley, who was a fourth round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, appeared in five games during his rookie season, catching six balls for 69 yards. After struggling with injuries early in camp, Ridley was never quite able to find his rhythym during Year 1. However, according to Furrey, things already look way different:
I think it’s just that transition into the NFL. The transition of the playbook, the transition of the speed of the game. Not having a lot of opportunity in preseason because we had guys we were trying to get ready, like the Anthony Millers and those guys that had missed summer. So I think there were a lot of things last year that collectively added up as to why he didn’t maximize his ability as a rookie. But I think the one thing I’m really excited about right now, and I’ll be honest with all of you, I think the biggest growth we’re going to see with anybody in our room is going to be Riley Ridley. His preparation right now, his attitude, his desire, the passion he has to become successful in this game, he loves the process. And I believe when you love the process, it’s going to be successful.
And so I’m excited about Riley. From the time we left the last snap last year to where we will be this training camp, you’re going to have a guy coming in that now has the confidence he can play in the NFL. He’s done things in the NFL now. He’s had production, obviously late, but he’s had production. So he’s had that experience. He’s been around Allen Robinson and he’s seen these guys on a daily basis, and so now you have a guy that’s going to be hungry coming in and showing up with all of those comfortable traits, of not worrying about those. He knows now he can do those things, and now he understands the process of what it takes. I know this kid is working as hard as he possibly can right now in preparation for that training camp. And so I’m very, very excited to get Riley Ridley into camp, and I believe he’s going to make some noise on our roster.
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If that's true, it's obviously good news for a Bears team that has talent at the top of the roster at wide receiver, and a lot of questions about the depth behind them. There will be plenty of competition at the position for a second straight season, as new faces Ted Ginn Jr. and Darnell Mooney joining Ridley, Cordarrelle Patterson (kind of) and Javon Wimms in the room.