Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley was reinstated from a year-long suspension by the NFL on Monday.
The league said Ridley was granted full reinstatement, one year after he was suspended for admitting to placing bets on NFL games.
“Ridley, who had been suspended indefinitely since March 2022 for violating the NFL’s gambling policy, is eligible to participate in all team activities, effective immediately,” the NFL said.
The league suspended Ridley last March 7 through at least the 2022 season with the qualifier he could apply for the suspension to be lifted on Feb. 15, 2023.
Ridley admitted to placing $1,500 in wagers on NFL games in 2021. He bet on games between Nov. 23-28, 2021, when he was away from his then-team, the Atlanta Falcons, for personal reasons.
“I don’t have a gambling problem,” Ridley tweeted after the suspension was announced.
The Jaguars acquired Ridley at the trade deadline last Nov. 1, sending a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-rounder that could potentially become a second-round pick to the Falcons.
“This is an opportunity to add a proven playmaker to our already talented wide receiver room as we continue to build our roster for 2023 and beyond,” Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement at the time.
Ridley, 28, hasn’t played since Week 7 of the 2021 season. He finished that season with 31 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
Since being selected No. 26 overall by the Falcons in the 2018 draft, Ridley has 248 catches for 3,342 yards and 28 TDs in 49 games (35 starts).
–Field Level Media