Calvin Ridley has been suspended for at least the entire 2022 season after an investigation determined that the Atlanta Falcons star gambled on NFL games. The league insists Ridley did not place bets using inside information, but apparently he did gamble on his own team.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ridley placed parlay bets that involved the Falcons. Parlays have multiple legs, or different wagers. Ridley reportedly picked Atlanta to win as part of his parlays.
NFL determined that Calvin Ridley placed multi-legged parlay bets involving 3, 5 and 8 games that included the Falcons to win, per source. Investigation determined there was no involvement from any team players, coach etc. placed via his mobile device out of state.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2022
The NFL’s statement said Ridley placed bets over a five-day period after he left the Falcons for mental health reasons. Garafolo says the fact that Ridley only placed parlay wagers is one of the ways investigators came to the conclusion that Ridley did not gamble using inside information.
On NFL Network @MikeGarafolo said Calvin Ridley's bets were parlays, and that was a factor in the league believing his claim that he had no inside information affecting his bets. Presumably if he had inside info he'd bet just on that team, not on parlays with multiple teams.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) March 7, 2022
Ridley took to Twitter after the suspension was announced to share some of his side. He claimed he only bet $1,500 and that he does not have a gambling problem. He also seemed to hint that he did not use inside info.
I bet 1500 total I don’t have a gambling problem
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 7, 2022
I couldn’t even watch football at that point
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 7, 2022
Ridley raised eyebrows recently with a cryptic tweet, but he likely knew the suspension was coming. The 27-year-old appeared in just five games for the Falcons last season before stepping away.
Photo: Aug 29, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley (18) on the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
