After being caught gambling on NFL Games while away from the field, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley has been suspended by the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley has been suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games during the 2021 season.
The NFL and the Atlanta Falcons have since released a statement regarding Ridley’s issue.
Here is the full release from the NFL on Calvin Ridley: https://t.co/VgLXUE0bDb pic.twitter.com/HR6YOjd2J0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2022
The league has not had many cases of gambling, but Ridley and defensive back Josh Shaw were the most recent cases. Prior to this recent run, former Colts quarterback Art Schlichter was considered the face of gambling in the NFL.
Schlichter, also a former first-round pick like Ridley, was suspended by the NFL for gambling and was the first player to receive this type of punishment since Alex Karras and Paul Hornung were suspended in 1963.
NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo reports that some of Ridley’s bets did involve the Falcons.
A source informed of the NFL's investigation into Calvin Ridley's gambling tells me the bets did involve the #Falcons.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 7, 2022
The NFL's statement says the investigation "uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way."
Ridley also shared his thoughts on Twitter.
Calvin Ridley speaks on his suspension for gambling on NFL games pic.twitter.com/HdiCimQtzm
— PFF (@PFF) March 7, 2022
Calvin Ridley has been indefinitely suspended by the NFL for gambling
Many will recall how Calvin Ridley stepped away from the game this year while citing “mental health” issues. Now that this story has come out, it raises significant eyebrows, and for a good reason.
This now leaves the Falcons in a troublesome situation of looking for a new wide receiver in the upcoming draft and potentially severing all ties with Ridley by flat-out cutting him regardless of the hit on the cap. What head coach Arthur Smith and owner Arthur Blank choose to do remains to be seen.
Right now, it’s disappointing to see Ridley in this type of situation and for an incident that he knew all too well was prohibited in the league and carries a very harsh punishment. For now, he’s suspended and has to wait until 2023 to reinstate himself.