The NFL has suspended Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for “at least” the 2022 season for betting on NFL games during the ’21 season. In a letter to Ridley, commissioner Roger Goodell said Ridley’s actions put the “integrity of the game at risk.”
“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 wrote. “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.”
Ridley stepped away from the team in late October to focus on his mental well-being. The league said the gambling took place during a five-day period in late November while Ridley was not with the Falcons.
