Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley has been reinstated after a one-year suspension for gambling on NFL games.
The NFL announced today that Ridley is fully reinstated and eligible to participate in all team activities effective immediately.
A first-round pick of the Falcons, Ridley emerged as one of the best young receivers in the NFL in 2020, catching 90 passes for 1,374 yards. But in 2021 he played in just five games before announcing that he was stepping away from football to focus on his mental health, and during that time away, the NFL discovered that he bet on NFL games.
All of the bets Ridley placed were while he was away from the Falcons and not playing, and the league said it found no indication that he used any inside information to help his betting. Still, the league has strict rules against betting on NFL games, and Ridley was suspended indefinitely on March 7, 2022.
During his suspension, the Falcons traded Ridley to the Jaguars for a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick. Now Ridley is back in the NFL, and with a new team.