The Atlanta Falcons won't be trading Calvin Ridley after all this offseason. That's because he'll be ineligible to play for any team in 2022.
Ridley has been suspended for "at least" the entirety of the 2022 season for gambling on games while he was away from the team this past season:
Ridley tweeted to acknowledge that he did gamble on games, but wanted to make clear that he isn't someone dealing with an addiction to betting:
The Falcons also released a statement once news broke of Ridley's suspension.
"We were first made aware of the league's investigation on Feb. 9. 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 didn't travel with the Falcons to their Week 5 tilt in London because of a "personal matter," and ultimately stepped away from the team for the remainder of the season in late October as he attempted to focus on his mental health:
Interestingly, NFL Media's Mike Garafolo hears that Ridley did bet on games involving the Falcons, but there remains no evidence that they were ones he was playing in or even privy to inside information on because he wasn't with the team:
ESPN's Adam Schefter added more specifics:
There was quite a bit of speculation that Ridley would be traded this offseason, and the Alabama star was expected to draw relatively heavy interest. After all, Ridley is still only 27 and had 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020. But Schefter says that the Falcons have recently rebuffed overtures on Ridley, aware of what was coming:
This story will be updated as more information comes in...
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