Cordarrelle Patterson advocates for Falcons teammate Calvin Ridley following Deshaun Watson suspension
Cordarrelle Patterson wants to see some justice for Calvin Ridley after the announcement of Deshaun Watson only being suspended for six games.
To illustrate, the former Alabama star wide receiver was suspended for the entire 2022 NFL season after it was revealed he was betting on games last season, including showdowns featuring his Atlanta Falcons. Then, it was announced on Monday that Watson would only be suspended six games following being accused by 24 different women of sexual assault.
Evidently, Patterson doesn’t believe it’s fair — advocating on Twitter for the NFL to reduce Ridley’s suspension.
“Free my dawg!!” tweeted Patterson, accompanying a photo of himself with Ridley.
Many have compared Watson’s suspension to that of Ridley’s, disappointed with the length of the Cleveland Browns quarterback’s punishment. Obviously, it isn’t simply media and Twitter accounts annoyed with the news, as Patterson is wondering how it all makes sense.
While it’s unlikely the NFL will reduce the suspension of Calvin Ridley, comparing it to Deshaun Watson’s situation does beg some questions that will have some interesting answers moving forward.
More on Calvin Ridley, NFL suspension
Moreover, Ridley only appeared in five games during the 2021 season, as he was put on the non-football injury list on Nov. 5 citing “mental health” concerns. He finished the 2021 season with 31 receptions for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
In a press release, the NFL specified that Ridley was found betting on NFL games during a five-day period in late November, while Ridley was not with the team and away from the team facilities on the non-football illness list.
“A league investigation uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way,” the NFL said. “Nor was there evidence suggesting any awareness by coaches, staff, teammates or other players of his betting activity.”
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Ridley was selected with the 26th-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, spending all four of his seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Over the course of his four-year career, Ridley has reeled in 248 receptions for 3,342 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns. His best season came in 2020, when Ridley needed just 15 games to amass 90 receptions for 1,374 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, a performance that was good for second-team All-Pro honors.