Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley is suspended for the entire 2022 NFL season for betting on games. And Ridley went to Twitter to set the record straight. When the announcement was made on Monday, Ridley explained how much money he betted while revealing if he has any issues with gambling.
“I bet 1500 total I don’t have a gambling problem,” Ridley wrote on Twitter. In a follow-up tweet, Ridley wrote, “I couldn’t even watch football at that point.” And in another tweet, Ridley said, “Just gone be more healthy when I come back.” Before the NFL announced Ridley’s suspension, he went to Twitter on Sunday to reveal that he has learned “from my Ls,” which could mean he knew the suspension was coming.
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Per the NFL’s statement, Ridley bet on NFL games during a five-day period in late November 2021 while he was not with the team and away from the club’s facility. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Ridley placed “multi-legged parlay bets” on three, five and eight games that included the Falcons. It was determined that no other players or coaches from the Falcons were involved, and Ridley placed the bets on his mobile device out of state.
“We were first made aware of the league’s investigation on Feb. 9,” the Falcons said in a statement. “We have cooperated fully with the investigation since receiving notice and support the league’s findings and actions. We are moving forward in the 2022 season with the decision that was made. With the decision that was made by the NFL, any further questions on the investigation should be directed to the league office.”
Ridley will be eligible to petition to be reinstated on or after Feb. 15, 2023. In 2021, Ridley played in five games before leaving the Falcons to focus on his mental health. Teams were looking to trade for Ridley, but the Falcons declined any trade offers as they likely knew the NFL was going to suspend him.
“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 to Ridley. “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.”
