NFL Suspends Falcons WR Calvin Ridley Suspended For At Least 2022 Season For Betting On Games
FOXBORO (CBS) -- The Atlanta Falcons were expected to entertain trade offers for receiver Calvin Ridley this offseason. And with the Patriots in need of a No. 1 pass-catcher, New England was rumored to be interested in potentially trading for the 27-year-old.
But the Patriots -- and no other team for that matter -- probably won't be acquiring Ridley this offseason. And if they do, he will not be playing for that team in 2022. The NFL announced Monday that Ridley has been suspended indefinitely through at least the conclusion of the 2022 season for betting on NFL games during the 2021 season.
"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. 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," commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to Ridley announcing the receiver's suspension. "For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy warranting the most substantial sanction. In your case, I acknowledge and commend you for your promptly reporting for an interview, and for admitting your actions."
An NFL investigation didn't uncover any evidence that Ridley used any inside information or that any game was compromised because of his betting, which took place during a five-day span in late November 2021. Ridley was not with the Falcons at the time and was away from the team's facilities on the non-football illness list as he dealt with a mental health issue.
Ridley can apply for reinstatement with the NFL on Feb. 15, 2023.
A short time before Ridley's suspension was announced, Jordan Schultz reported that a number of teams had expressed interest in acquiring Ridley, including the Patriots and the Cleveland Browns. Ridley was drafted by the Falcons with the 26th overall pick in 2018, and has caught 248 passes for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns over his four NFL seasons.