The National Football League has given full reinstatement rights to wide receiver Calvin Ridley of Fort Lauderdale, Florida according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN. Ridley was suspended due to a gambling problem, and did not play all of last season.
Ridley initially left the Atlanta Falcons to address his mental health issues on Halloween, 2021. He only played five games for Atlanta that season, and had 31 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
Then in the 2022 offseason, we found why Ridley had taken a leave of absence. The NFL announced that Ridley would be suspended one full season (for the 2022 regular season) for betting on NFL regular season games, including games featuring the team he was playing for at the time, the Atlanta Falcons. On November 1, 2022, Ridley was traded from the Falcons to the Jaguars for two draft picks.
At the time of the deal, the draft picks were conditional. The Falcons initially received a conditional sixth round draft pick in 2023 and a conditional fourth round draft pick in 2024. The conditional sixth round draft pick has now been upgraded to a fifth round draft pick because Ridley is now reinstated. The conditional fourth round pick in 2024 can be upgraded to a second round pick if he signs a long-term extension with Jacksonville.
You can make the argument that Ridley becomes the Jaguars number one wide receiver, and will be on the football field alongside Zay Jones and Christian Kirk. In his last full NFL season in 2020, he had 90 catches for 1374 receiving yards and nine touchdowns while with the Falcons.
Should Ridley even be allowed to play in the NFL this season at all? Will he disrupt the great chemistry the Jaguars had at the end of the 2022 season?
Tell us what you think in the comments below.
