Arthur Blank: We love Calvin Ridley, want him to…

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Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley only played five games during the 2021 season because he was dealing with mental health issues that led him to stay away from the team in October and there’s been no word about his plans for next season.

On Wednesday, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said that his first concern is Ridley’s wellness and that the team would welcome him back with open arms. He also noted that Ridley may not want to return, but, for now, the Falcons don’t know what his plans are for next year.

“We love the young man,” Blank said, via the team’s website. “He has had a great history in Atlanta. We’d love him to stay in Atlanta. Whether or not he wants to do that — he may decide that he wants a fresh start someplace else. We don’t know that. I don’t know that. I don’t have information to indicate that, but we’ll see how that plays out. We’ve been totally supportive in every way that we can be, both emotionally and financially in working with him as well as his agent. We’ll see, but I’m mostly concerned about him as a human being.”

Ridley was the 26th overall pick of the 2018 draft and is under contract for 2022 after the Falcons exercised their fifth-year option on his contract.