Calvin Ridley responds to NFL suspension for betting on games

Calvin Ridley has been suspended for the 2022 season for betting on NFL games. The Falcons receiver responded to the news and uproar.

The NFL world was hit with a stunner on Monday. After missing a large portion of the 2021 season for the Atlanta Falcons as he stepped away for mental health issues, star wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the 2022 season due to betting on NFL games.

According to multiple reports and a statement from the NFL, Ridley placed a number of parlays via his phone while out of the state of Georgia (presumably in a state where sports gambling is legal) that included his team, the Falcons. The NFL’s statement also said, however, that their investigation concluded that Ridley had no impact on the outcomes of games.

With the NFL world in an uproar over the suspension and news, Ridley took to Twitter to try and set the record straight, saying the amount he bet and clarifying that he doesn’t have a “gambling problem.”

Calvin Ridley responds to suspension for betting on games: ‘I don’t have a gambling problem’

After his initial tweet, Ridley continued to mildly explain himself, saying that he “couldn’t even watch football” when he was making bets on NFL games.

He then followed this up by saying that the suspension would only allow him to be fully healthy whenever he can potentially make his return in the 2023 season.

It’s worth noting that it’s not guaranteed that Ridley will be able to return for the 2023 season. He will have to apply for reinstatement in February 2023 for that to happen.

With that being said, this is a wild development in the NFL, particularly with free agency and the NFL Draft looming in the very near future for the league. And rest assured, this won’t be the last we hear about Calvin Ridley and his suspension either.