Calvin Ridley is the first high profile suspension for the National Football League related to sports betting.
What Happened: The NFL announced that Ridley, an Atlanta Falcons wide receiver, is suspended for the entire 2022 NFL season after it was revealed that he bet on sports during the 2021 NFL season. The wagers took place while Ridley was away from the Falcons on the non-football injury list.
Ridley said on Twitter that he bet a total of $1,500.
I bet 1500 total I don’t have a gambling problem
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 7, 2022
Ridley can appeal the suspension within three days or wait until Feb. 15, 2023 to seek reinstatement by the league.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to Ridley outlined as follows:
“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. This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official and anyone else employed in the league. Your actions put the integriy 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.”
Goodell commended Ridley for reporting for an interview with league officials and “admitting your actions."
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Why It’s Important: In 2019, the NFL announced a 21-game ban for cornerback Josh Shaw of the Arizona Cardinals. Shaw was reinstated by the league in 2021, but has not played an NFL game since his suspension ended.
Among the wagers placed by Shaw that warranted his suspension was a three-team parlay where he bet against the Cardinals in their matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shaw was injured at the time of the bet and was in Las Vegas instead of with the team.
Shaw’s suspension was the first by the NFL for wagering on football games since the 1980s.
Ridley has played 49 games with the Falcons, putting up 248 receptions for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns. Ridley posted 90 receptions for 1,374 yards in 2020 and brought in 10 touchdowns in his rookie 2018 season.
Ridley played in only five games in the 2021 season, posting 31 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns before stepping away from the team for mental health reasons.
Several teams have reached out to the Falcons in recent weeks about potential trades, as Ridley was expected to pursue options outside the Falcons.
Ridley was set to make $11.12 million for the 2022 season, a figure that will no longer count against the Falcons’ salary cap for the season.
Sports betting is not legal in the state of Georgia, home of the Falcons, so the team has no official sports betting partners. The NFL has official partnerships with Fox Bet, BetMGM, a joint venture of Entain and MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM), PointsBet and WynnBet, a unit of Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN).
The suspension of a high-profile NFL player for wagering on sports could serve as a blow to sports betting legalization efforts in some states.
Ridley signed an endorsement deal with Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) in 2018, but is not listed on the company’s website of North American athletes. Other reported endorsements for Ridley include AT&T Inc (NYSE:T), Lowes Companies Inc (NYSE:LOW) and Pizza Hut, a unit of Yum Brands (NYSE:YUM).
Photo: Courtesy of KA Sports Photos on Flickr
