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Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley responded Monday to news of his suspension on Twitter:
The posts came after the NFL announced Ridley would be suspended indefinitely and at least the entire 2022 season for betting on games, via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Ridley had stepped away from the Falcons because of mental health issues after Week 7 and was on the team’s non-football illness list at the time of the betting activity.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ridley placed multi-leg parlays on NFL games, including on the Falcons to win, although he reportedly did not receive any inside information from the organization.
The gambling will end up being costly for the 27-year-old, who will forfeit his $11.1 million salary for 2022, per ESPN’s Ed Werder.
Atlanta had exercised its fifth-year option for the 2018 first-round pick last offseason, providing a 2022 salary that would have effectively matched the Alabama product’s career earnings from his first four seasons.
The contract will now toll to 2023, per Spotrac, but the salary will likely no longer be guaranteed.
Ridley was named second-team All-Pro during his last full season, finishing 2020 with 90 catches for 1,374 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
original source: Calvin Ridley Responds to NFL Suspension: ‘I Don’t Have a Gambling Problem’
