Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who left the team mid-season to attend to his mental-well being, has been suspended indefinitely, at least through the 2022 season, for violating the NFL’s gambling policy, the league announced on Monday.
Ridley bet on NFL games last season, during a five-day stretch in late Nov. 2021, when he was away from the team on the reserve non-football illness list, according to the NFL.
“We were first made aware of the league’s investigation on Feb. 9 (2022),” the Falcons said in a statement. “We have cooperated fully with the investigation since receiving notice and support the league’s findings and actions. We are moving forward in the 2022 season with the decision that was made. With the decision that was made by the NFL, any further questions on the investigation should be directed to the league office.”
Ridley was notified of the suspension by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a letter.
“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,” Goodell letter reads. “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. In your case, I acknowledge and commend you for your promptly reporting for an interview, and for admitting your actions.”
Ridley, who was set to enter the fifth year of his contract that was to pay him $11.1 million, can apply for reinstatement on Feb. 15, 2023. He has the right to appeal the suspension.
Ridley’s agent, Pat Dye Jr., did not immediately return a phone call from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Ridley took to Twitter with several social media posts including one that read: “I bet 1500 total I don’t have a gambling problem.”
Ridley left the team on Oct. 31 and said he wanted to work on his mental well-being in a social media post. He played in just five games in 2021. He did not return to the team and was placed on the non-football injured list on Nov. 5.
Ridley, was selected in the first round (26th overall) in the 2018 draft. He has 248 catches for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns over three-plus seasons.
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith did not have any updates on Calvin Ridley’s situation last Tuesday when they spoke at the scouting combine.
“It’s not something we can talk about right now,” Fontenot said. “There’s there’s no update on it and when there is we’ll let you know.”
Smith said, “I know a lot of these guys that cover us locally, they get sick of me saying it, but I don’t have an update.”
It’s not clear if they knew about the gambling investigation at the time of their comments last week.
The NFL could be seen as sending mixed signals in recent years on its stand on gambling. They allowed a team to move to Las Vegas and have entered deals with various betting websites like Draft Kings and Fan Duel.
