Former Alabama football standout suspended from the NFL

By WVUA 23  Digital Reporter Jeremy Bryant

The NFL announced this past Monday that Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley will be suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games. The suspension is set to last for the entirety of the 2022 season, but could end up being a longer sentence.

Ridley stepped away from football in October to work on his mental health. He was found to be placing three parlays bets on the Falcons to win using his personal phone while he was out of state. The NFL started an investigation in early February through their partnership with the legal betting industry.

Player across all sports are allowed to gamble on games, but they cannot place bets on their own sport and certainly not their own team because of the possibility of having inside information that no other person would know.

Ridley went to twitter in a series of tweets to explain the situation from his point of view. He admitted to the allegations and expressed how he does not want to be viewed by the public including how much he spent picking his own team to win.

Current and former players around the league took note of the situation, with some offering their advice moving forward while others were more surprised at the length of the punishment.

The NFL sent Ridley a letter notifying him of his suspension, and addressing why betting on games damages the image and integrity that the league intends to uphold. Ridley is the most notable name to be caught in such a scandal. The previous offender from the NFL was Josh Shaw, who was suspended in 2019 from the Arizona Cardinals.

Ridley was primed to be the No. 1 wide receiver after All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans. He endured a lackluster season before making the decision to step away from football. He was set to make over $11 million in the upcoming season, but the money will now be voided out because of the suspension.

Ridley spent three years playing for Alabama, winning two national championships before going on to be drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. It has not been stated of he intends to appeal the suspension. The first time he will be allowed to apply for reinstatement will be February 15, 2023.