The NFL is finally reinstating Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley after a year-long suspension for gambling.
On Monday, Ridley, who was banished during the 2022 season for violating the league’s gambling policy, was reinstated. The NFL announced that they were welcoming Ridley back onto the field after he applied to return to his position in February. The 28-year-old was benched “indefinitely” in March 2022 after he admitted to gambling during a leave from the league. In 2021, he played only five games while still with the Atlanta Falcons before stepping away to focus on his mental health. During his hiatus, according to ESPN, Ridley bet a total of $1,500 on NFL games over a five-day period in November 2021.
The Jaguars, who acquired Ridley during his suspension in November 2022, expressed their excitement about finally having Ridley play with the team.
“Calvin is a proven playmaker, and we are excited to see him compete among and with his new teammates,” they shared. He will get back to work in April during the offseason before advancing to the 2023 season.
Ridley maintained that he did not have a gambling problem at the time of his suspension. In his statement following the good news, he referred to the incident as a “lapse in judgment.”
Ridley will secure over $11 million in 2023 as the fifth-year option from his rookie contract, which he signed in 2018.
