Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley | Dakota Williams/Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley | Dakota Williams/Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended from the 2022-23 season this week after an NFL investigation found he bet on league games during the 2021-22 season.
A report by FOX 5 Atlanta Monday highlighted the suspension, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell underscored that gambling has been considered one of the most significant violations of league policy for decades.
"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,” Goodell said in his statement. “This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official and anyone else employed in the league … (Ridley’s) 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.”
The alleged betting took place in November 2021, while Ridley was away from the team, the report states. That season, the wide receiver played in a total of five games, missing a majority after taking a leave of absence to deal with mental health issues.
In a series of tweets Monday evening, Ridley said he had reached a point where he couldn’t even watch football and that he had only bet a total of $1,500. Among comments, Ridley acknowledged he was wrong.
“If you know me, you know my character,” Ridley wrote on Twitter.
Ridley can appeal the suspension and is eligible to apply for reinstatement after Feb. 15, 2023.
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