Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley has been suspended from the NFL.
On Monday, the league announced in a statement their decision to defer Ridley from at least throughout the 2022 season for placing bets on NFL games last year.
The NFL also stated the activity occurred during a five-day period in late November 2021 while Ridley was not with the team and away from the club’s facility on the non-football illness list.
He added he couldn’t even watch football at the time.
“Just gone be more healthy when I come back,” he continued. “I know I was wrong But I’m getting 1 year lol.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Ridley’s representative for comment following the announcement but has not received an immediate response.
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Additionally, the NFL explained in the statement that no evidence was found to indicate Ridley had used inside information or “that any game was compromised in any way.” There also was no evidence that any of his work associates, including coaches, staff, or players, were aware of his gambling, the league said in its press release.
“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,” commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to Ridley notifying him of the suspension. “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.
“For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy warranting the most substantial sanction. In your case, I acknowledge and commend you for your promptly reporting for an interview, and for admitting your actions.”
Last October, after playing five games in the 2021 season, Ridley announced he would temporarilystep away from the sportsto look after his mental health.
“These past few weeks have been very challenging and as much as I’d like to be on the field competing with my teammates, I need to step away from football at this time and focus on my mental wellbeing,” Ridley said in his statement at the time.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelisserosaid in a tweet, as a result of the suspension, Ridely will “now be under contract through 2023 and his $11.116 million salary will come off Atlanta’s books this season.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
