The NFL officially reinstated Calvin Ridley from an indefinite suspension Monday, clearing the way for the wide receiver to make his Jacksonville Jaguars debut in 2023.
Ridley, 28, was acquired by the Jaguars in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons in October 2022 while the receiver was serving a suspension for gambling on NFL games. A league investigation found that Ridley placed bets on the Falcons to win in 2021 while he was away from the team on the non-football illness list.
I bet 1500 total I don’t have a gambling problem
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 7, 2022
The indefinite suspension kept Ridley out for the entire 2022 season. The receiver wasn’t eligible to apply for reinstatement until Feb. 15 and he did so on the first day possible.
In Jacksonville, Ridley joins an ascending offense with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, Travis Etienne Jr. in the backfield, and a wide receiving corps with Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. The Jaguars are expected to retain tight end Evan Engram with the franchise tag, as well.
During Ridley’s suspension, the Jaguars were unable to contact the receiver.
Ridley is a former first-round pick, who had 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns in 49 games with the Falcons. In 2020, Ridley had 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns.
