The NFL has suspended Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley indefinitely after determining the wideout gambled on league games. The suspension will run no shorter than the entirety of the 2022 season, per the league. The wagers reportedly took place over a five-day period in November 2021, after Ridley had taken an extended leave of absence from the Falcons.
While investigators determined Ridley had no inside information on the outcome of games, the league’s discipline was decisive. Faced with a potential Pete Rose/MLB-level boondoggle, commissioner Roger Goodell was unambiguous:
“There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL’s success – and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league – than upholding the integrity of the game. This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official, and anyone else employed in the league. Your actions put the integrity of the game at risk, threatened to damage public confidence in professional football, and potentially undermined the reputations of your fellow players throughout the NFL.
“For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy warranting the most substantial sanction.”
It’s unclear what games Ridley bet on or what type of service he used to place his wagers.
I bet 1500 total I don’t have a gambling problem
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 7, 2022
Ridley staked his claim as one of the game’s best young wideouts after making 90 catches for 1,374 yards in 2020. He played only five games for Atlanta last season before stepping away from the game to focus on his mental health. He was on the league’s non-football injury list when he made the bets that led to his suspension.
Ridley had been a popular trade candidate this offseason, but the Falcons will have to hold onto his rights for another year while he faces the league’s discipline. Atlanta publicly stated it supports the NFL’s ruling in a press release published soon after news of Ridley’s indefinite suspension broke.
Team statement on the NFL investigation of Calvin Ridley. https://t.co/dzbRCPRlmR
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) March 7, 2022
