Calvin Ridley #18 of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on August 21, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Michael Reaves | Getty Images
The National Football League suspended Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley through the 2022 season for betting on games, Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Monday.
The league said Ridley, 27, bet on NFL 2021 games during a five-day period last November. During that time, Ridley was on the non-football illness list. At the time, he said he was addressing his mental wellbeing.
“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,” 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.”
The league said Ridley is eligible for reinstatement in February 2023.
In a series of tweets following his suspension, Ridley said he bet $1,500 in total adding, “I don’t have a gambling problem.”
Ridley is represented by agency SportsTrust Advisors. The firm didn’t immediately return a CNBC request for comment.
Ridley has been with the Falcons for four seasons. His best was in 2020, when he had nine touchdowns and 1,374 receiving yards. He’s was scheduled to make roughly $11 million for the 2022 season.
But due to Ridley’s suspension, he could face forfeiture of his 2022 salary as his suspension could fall under “conduct detrimental” language in the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement with players.
In a statement, the Falcons said they were first notified about the NFL’s investigation into Ridley’s betting on Feb. 9 and “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,” the Falcons added.
The NFL has an exclusive data rights deal with London-based data and technology firm Genius Sports valued at $100 million per year. As part of the deal, Genius provides its integrity services to monitor betting around NFL games and tracks suspicions activity.
Ridley’s suspension for betting on games comes more than two years since the last one.
In November 2019, the NFL also suspended defensive back Josh Shaw for the 2020 season for betting on games while he was with the Arizona Cardinals. Shaw was reinstated in March 2021 and remains a free agent.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/07/nfl-suspends-atlanta-falcons-calvin-ridley-for-2022-season-for-betting-on-games.html