The NFL changed its gambling policy on Friday afternoon, and it just so happens to come two days before the Atlanta Falcons play against Calvin Ridley and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The former Falcons wideout was forced to miss the entire 2022 season after being served with a one-year gambling suspension in 2021. Ridley, who wasn’t even on the active roster when he placed his bets, would only have to serve a two-game suspension under the new rule.
Buy Falcons TicketsBetting on non-NFL sports from the workplace now will lead to this discipline:
🏈First violation – two game suspension without pay
🏈Second violation – six game suspension without pay
🏈Third violation – suspension without pay for at least one year https://t.co/g6fnyFl8Lv— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 29, 2023
Atlanta ended up trading Ridley to the Jaguars at the 2022 NFL trade deadline and he was reinstated by the league prior to the start of the 2023 season.
Through his first three games with the Jaguars, Ridley has recorded 13 catches for 173 receiving yards and a touchdown.
On Sunday, the Falcons will play against their former first-round pick for the first time since the trade. Head coach Arthur Smith talked about how happy he was to see Ridley having success with the Jaguars.
“It’s good to see someone out there again doing what he loves,” said Smith. “It does bring me a lot of joy to see him doing well.”
Falcons HC Arthur Smith on Calvin Ridley: It's good to see someone out there again doing what he loves. … It does bring me a lot of joy to see him doing well.
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) September 27, 2023
The Falcons probably wouldn’t mind if Ridley has a bad game on Sunday, but there’s reason to root for the former Alabama star this season. One of the team’s two draft picks acquired in the trade is conditional.
Essentially, the better Ridley plays, the higher the pick becomes.
Here are the conditions on the 2024 4th rounder that is going from Jags to Falcons, per source.
It stays as a 4 if Calvin Ridley is on the roster.
It goes to a 3 if Ridley reaches certain incentives.
And it becomes a 2 if the Jaguars sign Ridley to a contract extension. https://t.co/e6yoxa05fh
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2022
Check out the team’s updated 53-man roster, practice squad and depth chart heading into Sunday’s game in London.
