NFL Twitter reacts to shocking news

Former Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Calvin Ridley has been suspended by the NFL for the entire 2022 season for gambling on NFL games.

Earlier this year, Calvin Ridley was the topic of conversation as a potential trading piece for the Atlanta Falcons.

While there are several teams that could have benefitted from Ridley’s talent, it seems that no one will be seeing the talented Mr. Ridley grace an NFL field in 2022.

Ridley has been suspended for the entire 2022 season for gambling on NFL games, which is strictly prohibited per the NFL rulebook.

Twitter reacts to Calvin Ridley gambling suspension

The NFL’s public statement revealed that Ridley bet on games during a five-day period when he was not participating with the Falcons and was away from the team on the non-injury list. The league also revealed that there was no evidence Ridley tampered with games or relied on inside information, which is entirely the reason no professional sports league would want a player involved in gambling.

What makes matters worse for Ridley is that the league was alerted by Hard Rock, the company with which he placed a legal online bet.

This is also the reason the Falcons have not been fielding offers for Ridley over the past few weeks. Had they done so, another team would be burdened with Ridley’s suspension, which would have caused its own uproar.

Of course, NFL Twitter had a colorful reaction to seeing such a talented receiver suddenly gone from the 2022 season.

One Twitter user compared the NFL’s reaction to Ridley’s bets, which have been proven to not have been influenced by insider information whatsoever, to the NFL’s reaction to Ray Rice’s widely publicized domestic abuse.

Many Twitter users pointed out just how much Ridley lost in the gamble he took on his career, as well as others who have made the same mistake.

Ridley even responded to the allegation that he has a gambling problem rivaling Drake, clarifying that he only bet $1500.

Others joked that Ridley was able to predict the most predictable things, such as another Falcons interception.

Another thing to note is that Ridley likely isn’t the only athlete interested in gambling, although he did it in a way that allowed him to be caught rather easily. Ridley could have easily circumvented gambling rules by giving his money and picks for a family member or friend so that they could place his bet for him.

Sadly, Ridley has to spend 2022 watching the role of gambling grow in the sport, watching NFL and players grow richer because of gambling deals with stadiums and mobile apps while he lost out on millions.

As details roll in, it’s possible Ridley could attempt to contest his suspension, as he did take time off to recover from mental health issues during that time period and was away from the team.