Calvin Ridley to formally appeal to NFL for reinstatement after yearlong gambling suspension

Calvin Ridley is formally appealing to the NFL for reinstatement after his yearlong suspension for gambling.

Wednesday is the first day Ridley is eligible to do so, and he’s wasting no time, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Jaguars’ WR Calvin Ridley, who was suspended one season after being accused of betting on games in November 2021 while he played with the Falcons, is in fact applying to the NFL today for reinstatement, per source. Today is first day Ridley can apply, and he’s wasting no time.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 15, 2023

“Jaguars’ WR Calvin Ridley, who was suspended one season after being accused of betting on games in November 2021 while he played with the Falcons, is in fact applying to the NFL today for reinstatement, per source,” tweeted Schefter. “Today is first day Ridley can apply, and he’s wasting no time.”

Earlier this season, the Atlanta Falcons traded their embattled star wide receiver to the Jacksonville Jaguars due to the uncertainty of his situation. The team that drafted the former Alabama star no longer wanted any part of him, and opted to gain draft compensation instead. But if Ridley is reinstated, it could be a coup for the Jaguars.

The draft compensation is contingent on Ridley’s reinstatement. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, if the NFL reinstates Ridley by a certain date, the deal will be for a 2023 fifth-round pick. No reinstation from the league would make it a sixth-round pick in 2023. Ridley making the roster next season would upgrade next season’s compensation to a fourth-round pick. Meeting a play-time requirement would make it a third-round pick. Any form of a long-term deal would improve it all the way up to a second-round selection.

It was a very complicated set of terms between the Falcons and the Jaguars for Ridley, but the maximum compensation will be a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick.

Moreover, the Atlanta Falcons drafted Ridley in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. As they moved on from stars like Julio Jones, Ridley was supposed to step in as Atlanta’s new No. 1 receiver, and he showed potential for that, with 248 catches, 3,342 receiving yards, and 28 touchdowns over his first four seasons.

Then, injuries hampered Ridley’s ability in 2021, and he only appeared in five games in 2021. Afterwards, his aforementioned suspension for gambling, which included betting on matchups that featured his own team, left him out of the league for the time-being.

Nevertheless, Calvin Ridley could be a great piece for the Jaguars alongside Trevor Lawrence if he’s officially reinstated by the NFL. He’s done his time, and now it’s up to Roger Goodell and company to bring him back into the fold.

On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this article.