Jacksonville Jaguars star Calvin Ridley is free to return to NFL action after being reinstated by the league on Monday, and released a statement after hearing the news.
The wide receiver was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in March 2022 after an investigation found that he had bet on matches during the 2021 season. The 28-year-old missed the entirety of the recent 2022 campaign as a result, but his reinstatement appeal to the NFL was successful.
Ridley lodged his appeal to the league back in February, and after a nervous wait he is now immediately eligible to participate in all team activities. It's a boost for the Jaguars, and Ridley confirmed he is "looking forward" to his long-awaited return.
"Today's reinstatement by the NFL brings an end to a challenging chapter in my professional career, one that was self-inflicted and began with an isolated lapse in judgement," Ridley wrote in a statement. "I have always owned my mistakes, and this is no different.
"I have great respect for the game and am excited for the opportunity to restart my career in Jacksonville. I look forward to showing my new coaches, team-mates, and the entire Jaguars organisation exactly who I am and what I represent as a player and person."
The Jaguars made it back to the postseason in 2022 after a four-year absence, and lost narrowly to the Kansas City Chiefs after a a stunning comeback against the Los Angeles Charges on Wild Card Weekend. The Chiefs went on the win the Super Bowl, but the Jaguars are gaining momentum after a woeful stretch between 2018-2021.
Ridley is yet to play a competitive game for the Jaguars as he only traded in 2022, after arriving from the Atlanta Falcons. Ridley was a first-round draft pick back in 2018, and scored ten touchdowns in his rookie season.
The wide receiver already has 28 touchdowns in just 35 NFL starts, but his career was brought to a halt following an investigation into his gambling. The NFL released a statement back in March to confirm the allegations, saying Ridley gambled on NFL games over a five-day stretch in November 2021 when he was on the non-football injury list to address his mental health.
Ridley even tweeted out to address the news after the suspension was announced, posting: "I don't have a gambling problem." He also stated he only bet $1,500, and said he couldn't even watch at the time of placing his bets.
He concluded a series of tweets by saying: "I know I was wrong, but I'm getting one year lol." The NFL has a zero tolerance policy on any active players gambling, and sent a letter to Ridley last year.
"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," NFL commissioner Roger 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."
