The NFL world was left in collective shock on Monday when news came out that Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended through at least the 2022 season for betting on NFL games.
As sports betting becomes legal in more and more states across the country, the reveal that a high-profile player bet on games is the nightmare scenario for every league. It directly impacts the perception of integrity in the outcome of their games.
However, Ridley isn’t the first player — in the NFL or otherwise — to be punished for gambling, and he won’t likely be the last. In 2019, cornerback Josh Shaw was suspended for betting on NFL games. As the most modern example of player-involved gambling in the NFL, that suspension may shed light into how much time Ridley could miss.
NFL Players Suspended for Gambling:
⁰🏈1963 Alex Karras ⁰🏈1963 Paul Hornung ⁰🏈1983 Art Schlichter ⁰🏈2019 Josh Shaw ⁰🏈2022 Calvin Ridley— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2022
Shaw, who had already been placed on injured reserve in August 2019 by the Arizona Cardinals, was suspended that November through the end of the 2020 season. Considering he may have missed the rest of 2019 anyway, his suspension amounted to a one-season ban. He was reinstated last March, though he remained a free agent through last season.
I know I was wrong But I’m getting 1 year lol
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 7, 2022
Ridley can probably expect to see a similar ban, barring any significant differences in their cases. Shaw was found to have bet on multiple games, including a parlay on the second halves of three games — one involving the Cardinals. But the NFL’s investigation didn’t find evidence that he used inside information.
