Because the Arizona Cardinals will need to address the wide receiver position this offseason, many trade scenarios have come up. One such scenario has had the Cardinals trading for Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley.
Whether or not they had any real interest or reached out to Atlanta, it will no longer be a possibility.
The NFL announced Monday that Ridley was suspended for at least the entire 2022 season because of gambling on football.
Cardinals fans might remember this happening a couple of years ago.
Defensive back Josh Shaw, on injured reserve all 2019, gambled on NFL games and was suspended for the entire 2020 season, later getting reinstated in May 2021.
Ridley was away from the Falcons on the non-football illness list and reportedly placed parlay bets including NFL games on his cell phone.
He did not use inside information and neither his coaches nor his teammates were found to have any knowledge of it.
NFL players are prohibited from gambling on NFL games.
He is eligible to request reinstatement in February 2023.
If the Cardinals had any thought of acquiring Ridley, that option is no longer available.
Ridley’s contract tolls and the more than $11 million he was due to make in 2022 will simply move to 2023. His salary comes off the books for the Falcons.
If reinstated, the conversations about trading for him may commence again.
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