Calvin Ridley reinstated by NFL, officially ending yearlong gambling suspension
Calvin Ridley is back, and you can bet on that.
After a journey that took place over the last year, Ridley is officially being reinstated into the NFL following the sports betting scandal that put his time in the league on pause. In that time he’s been traded and preparing for a new start with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and now he’s going to get it.
“NFL reinstated Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley,” tweeted Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The former Alabama star is back, and he’s going to hope to be better than ever in Jacksonville.
Earlier this season, the Atlanta Falcons traded their embattled star wide receiver to the Jacksonville Jaguars due to the previous uncertainty of his situation. The team that drafted the former Alabama star no longer wanted any part of him, and opted to gain draft compensation instead. But with Ridley now reinstated, it could be a coup for the Jaguars.
The draft compensation was contingent on Ridley’s reinstatement. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, if the NFL reinstates Ridley by a certain date, the deal will be for a 2023 fifth-round pick. No reinstation from the league would make it a sixth-round pick in 2023. Ridley making the roster next season would upgrade next season’s compensation to a fourth-round pick. Meeting a play-time requirement would make it a third-round pick. Any form of a long-term deal would improve it all the way up to a second-round selection.
It was a very complicated set of terms between the Falcons and the Jaguars for Ridley, but the maximum compensation will be a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick.
Moreover, the Atlanta Falcons drafted Ridley in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. As they moved on from stars like Julio Jones, Ridley was supposed to step in as Atlanta’s new No. 1 receiver, and he showed potential for that, with 248 catches, 3,342 receiving yards, and 28 touchdowns over his first four seasons.
Then, injuries hampered Ridley’s ability in 2021, and he only appeared in five games in 2021. Afterwards, his aforementioned suspension for gambling, which included betting on matchups that featured his own team, left him out of the league for the time-being.
Nevertheless, Calvin Ridley could be a great piece for the Jaguars alongside Trevor Lawrence as he’s officially reinstated by the NFL. He’s done his time, and now Roger Goodell and company are bringing him back into the fold.
On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this article.