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Calvin Ridley Calvin Ridley Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley is done for the upcoming 2022 NFL season as the league has suspended him for betting on NFL games during the 2021 season.
The league announced on Monday (March 7th) that they were placing Ridley on indefinite suspension for betting on NFL games during last season. According to their investigation, Ridley made those bets during a five-day stint away from the team in late November 2021 while he was not with the Falcons. “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,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter informing Ridley of his suspension. “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 league.”
The former first-round pick was reported to have also made bets on games including the Falcons during the five-day period, according to sources close to the investigation. These sources also stated that there was no inside information at use or any compromising of game action. Ridley had taken time away from the Falcons after playing the first five games of the 2021 season to focus on his mental wellness.
When the news broke, Ridley issued a series of tweets attempting to explain his position, saying that “he doesn’t have a gambling problem.” https://twitter.com/calvinridley1/status/1500939522632302594
The Falcons issued a statement declaring that they were in full cooperation with the league. “We are moving forward in the 2022 season with the decision that was made,” they wrote. Ridley will lose $11.16 million due to the suspension, and there is uncertainty about whether Atlanta will retain him after the suspension ends.
