Calvin Ridley - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles, Falcons Nearly Completed Calvin Ridley Trade

March 10th, 2022 at 3:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Calvin Ridley‘s gambling suspension, which comes after his extended 2021 hiatus, has thrown his career off course. But the former first-round pick had generated trade interest prior to the ban.

The Eagles discussed Ridley with the Falcons, according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, who notes the sides nearly completed a deal (Twitter link). The Falcons backed out of the talks, with Glazer adding the NFC South team did not say why. The looming suspension, which became known this week, almost certainly played a role in scuttling the trade. Indeed, the Falcons learning of this significant Ridley hurdle factored into the trade not happening, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets, noting the Eagles were in the lead among Ridley suitors this offseason.

While the Eagles have used first-round picks on wide receivers in each of the past two years, they can still be considered needy at the position. DeVonta Smith has fared far better than Jalen Reagor, and despite the NFL expanding its season to 17 games, Philly only saw one wideout (Smith) surpass 650 receiving yards in 2021. The Eagles also appear to have whiffed with their 2019 second-round pick of J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. It is safe to say the Eagles will add a notable name here this offseason, potentially with one of their three first-round picks. But Ridley is certainly off the radar for the foreseeable future.

Ridley joined Hall of Famers Paul Hornung and Alex Karras, former Colts first-round quarterback Art Schlichter and cornerback Josh Shaw as NFL players suspended for gambling. Ridley’s fifth-year option will toll to 2023, keeping him tied to the Falcons. Though, it is far from certain if he will ever play with Atlanta again. Ridley will be 28 when next eligible to play.

After surpassing 800 yards in each of his first two seasons, Ridley broke out for 1,374 and nine touchdown catches in 2020, a season in which Julio Jones struggled with a hamstring injury. Ridley landed on the Falcons’ Non-Football Injury list last year, stepping away from the team because of a mental health issue. Trade rumblings regarding Ridley surfaced in January, and the Eagles were one of the teams to pursue a swap. But the Alabama alum’s stock has undoubtedly taken a hit this week, leaving the Falcons shorthanded at receiver. Russell Gage is set to hit free agency next week.

NFL Suspends Calvin Ridley For Betting On Games

March 7th, 2022 at 3:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL has suspended Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for at least the 2022 season for betting on NFL games. In a statement, the league indicated that Ridley’s betting took place “during a five-day period in November 2021.”

By that point of the campaign, Ridley was away from the team, having been placed on the Non-Football Injury List. Personal matters and mental health were cited as the reasons for his absence. By January, it had been reported that a trade of the team’s top wideout was a distinct possibility, though the team publicly declared its intentions of keeping the former first rounder. Knowledge of this issue appears to have played a role in the fact that serious trade talks didn’t take place.

The statement noted that the league’s investigation into the matter “uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way” nor that there was “any awareness by coaches, staff, teammates, or other players of Ridley’s betting activity”. A tweet from Ridley himself indicates that he wagered $1,500 total.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Ridley’s wagers consisted of parlay bets, and that some of those “included the Falcons to win” (Twitter link). Mike Garafolo of NFL Network adds that the league has the ability to “work with their gambling partners to gather information on potential violations”, and that it was through such communication that Ridley was caught (video link).

In response, the Falcons released a statement which says in part: “We were first made aware of the league’s investigation on Feb. 9. We have cooperated fully with the investigation since receiving notice and support the league’s findings and actions. We are moving forward in the 2022 season with the decision that was made.”

Ridley, 27, can appeal the suspension within the next three days, though he tweeted “I learn from my Ls” in response to the news. Assuming the ban is upheld, the earliest he can apply for reinstatement is February 15, 2023. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds that his contract — the fifth-year option worth $11.1MM — will now toll to the 2023 season, meaning the Falcons will gain that much in cap space for 2022.

A member of what was viewed as an underwhelming draft class, Ridley quickly established himself as a highly-productive receiver. His best year came in 2020 (90 catches, 1,374 yards, nine touchdowns), leading to plenty of optimism for himself and the Falcons’ offense. After everything that has happened since, however, the situation has been completely reversed.

AFC East Rumors: Bills, Jets, Douglas, Jackson

March 6th, 2022 at 5:33pm CST by Ely Allen

On Friday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul made comments that all but guaranteed that an agreement for a new stadium for the Bills will be made soon, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports.

Highmark Stadium (previously Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium, and New Era Field) has been the home of the Bills since 1973. The Bills’ current lease on Highmark expires in 2023 and the franchise has been pushing with many government entities to build them a shiny, new stadium. The team has used the very real looming threat that there are plenty of other markets in the country that can support an NFL franchise.

Hochul commented on that threat saying, “That’s why we’re negotiating very intently, to make sure we have the right outcome for this community.” The new stadium will partially be funded by the public to the tune of about $850MM. The Governor claims that a deal will be done by April 1, in time for the annual budget.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC East, starting with a couple of notes that keep us in the Empire State:

The Jets are planning to use this offseason to add some weapons to the roster for quarterback Zach Wilson. They currently have Corey Davis and Elijah Moore sitting atop the depth chart. They would love to bring back Braxton Berrios as a fourth-receiver/gadget player and they haven’t yet given up on Denzel Mims. Still, New York will have ample opportunity to add a potential No. 1 receiver to the roster, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. The free agent market is home to many household names like Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, Mike Williams, and, potentially, Amari Cooper. Players like Calvin Ridley and Cole Beasley have been rumored to be available via trade. The 2022 NFL Draft is also so rich in talented receivers that many believe some first round talent could fall to the second round where the Jets have two high picks, if they don’t choose to take a top prospect like Garrett Wilson or Drake London with the 10th overall pick.
That being said, Vacchiano also reports that, despite their vast spending ability, general manager Joe Douglas has been preaching the maintenance of financial flexibility. Though the Jets rank in the Top 5 in the NFL in salary cap space, Douglas rejected the notion that their $50-60MM in cap space will be dedicated to big spending in free agency. Douglas acknowledged free agency as just one of “a lot of different tools to improve your roster” and pointed to the Bengals as an example of responsible free agent spending. “I think Cincy did great in free agency last year,” he said. “They didn’t blow the doors off in terms of signing super high-priced guys. They brought in guys who fit exactly what they wanted to do.”
According to Mike Giardi of NFL Network, Patriots’ cornerback JC Jackson is likely headed for free agency with some lofty expectations. While Jackson still likes the Patriots, money is a big factor for the 26-year-old. Giardi claims that Jackson is strictly seeking compensation similar to Jalen Ramsey. New England won’t bring that money to the table and it sounds like they won’t be utilizing their franchise tag on Jackson, either. That information could lead to a tag and trade situation if other teams aren’t willing to shell out for Jackson in free agency.

Latest On Falcons WR Calvin Ridley

February 9th, 2022 at 7:38pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s uncertain if Calvin Ridley will be sticking around Atlanta. However, if the Falcons have their way, they’d naturally want their wideout to stay with the organization.

“We love the young man,” said owner Arthur Blank (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.”

The wideout announced in late October that he’d be stepping away from football to deal with his mental health. Nothing has really changed since that time, although we heard recently that Ridley hadn’t had a whole lot of communication with the Falcons. That report indicated that the receiver could be seeking a fresh start elsewhere, although there wasn’t a definitive trade request or anything.

The 2018 first-round pick emerged as one of the NFL’s top wideouts in 2020, finishing with 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. This was going to be a pivotal year for the former first-round pick. The Falcons picked up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option but have not yet signed him to an extension.

Latest On Falcons WR Calvin Ridley

January 15th, 2022 at 12:32pm CST by Ben Levine

The next time we see Calvin Ridley, he could be in a different uniform. While the Falcons are still holding out hope that the receiver will eventually return to the team, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo believes a trade could be in the cards (Twitter link).

The wideout announced in late October that he’d be stepping away from football to deal with his mental health. Nothing has really changed since that time, and according to Garafolo, there hasn’t been a whole lot of communication between Ridley’s camp and the Falcons organization. Eventually, the Falcons are going to need to touch base with Ridley and figure out whether his return is realistic.

Ultimately, a fresh start could end up being the preferred option for Ridley. Per Garafolo, while the receiver has no ill will towards the team, he’s dealing with personal things that could (somewhat) be remedied by getting traded elsewhere.

The 2018 first-round pick emerged as one of the NFL’s top wideouts in 2020, finishing with 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. This was going to be a pivotal year for the former first-round pick. The Falcons picked up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option but have not yet signed him to an extension. The team also traded Julio Jones to the Titans, firmly establishing Ridley as Atlanta’s No. 1 wideout.

His numbers were a bit underwhelming through the first four games, with Ridley hauling in 27 catches for 255 yards and one touchdown. Since that time, he’s only seen time in one game, when he caught four passes for 26 yards and one touchdown.

Latest On Falcons WR Calvin Ridley

November 22nd, 2021 at 5:53pm CST by Ben Levine

It doesn’t sound like Calvin Ridley‘s return is coming any time soon. While the Falcons wideout is now eligible to be activated off the non-football injury list, head coach Arthur Smith told reporters that he doesn’t have an update on the former first-round pick (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).

The wideout announced in late October that he’d be stepping away from football to deal with his mental health. The organization later placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list, meaning he’d miss at least three additional games. The 26-year-old is now eligible to come off the list, but it doesn’t sound like he’s ready to return to football.

The 2018 first-round pick emerged as one of the NFL’s top wideouts in 2020, finishing with 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. This was going to be a pivotal year for the former first-round pick. The Falcons picked up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option but have not yet signed him to an extension. The team also traded Julio Jones to the Titans, firmly establishing Ridley as Atlanta’s No. 1 wideout.

His numbers were a bit underwhelming through the first four games, with Ridley hauling in 27 catches for 255 yards and one touchdown. Since that time, he’s only seen time in one game, when he caught four passes for 26 yards and one touchdown.

Falcons Place Calvin Ridley On NFI List

November 5th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Calvin Ridley‘s break from football will last at least four weeks. After Ridley was a surprise scratch for the Falcons’ Week 8 game, the team placed its top wide receiver on the reserve/non-football injury list Friday.

This designation will sideline Ridley for at least three more weeks. The fourth-year pass catcher announced last week he was stepping away from football for the time being to deal with a personal matter. The earliest Ridley can return is Week 12.

The Falcons have already seen Ridley miss two games already for a personal reason this season. While Ridley returned after missing the Falcons’ London game in Week 5, catching four passes for 26 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins, he was declared inactive for Week 8. During Atlanta’s loss to the Carolina, Ridley made his intention to step away public via Twitter.

This is a pivotal year for the former first-round pick. The Falcons picked up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option but have not yet signed him to an extension. The Falcons traded Julio Jones to the Titans, firmly establishing Ridley as Atlanta’s No. 1 wideout. It is uncertain when the 26-year-old talent will retake his place in the Falcons’ starting lineup, but the team moving him to the NFI list will provide him some time away.

Falcons’ Calvin Ridley To Miss Week 5

October 7th, 2021 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Calvin Ridley will not make the trip with his Falcons teammates to London. The Falcons have ruled out their top wide receiver in Week 5 due to a personal matter.

This certainly represents a blow to a passing attack that will also be without Russell Gage, who will join Ridley in staying home for the Falcons’ London game. Gage is battling an ankle injury that forced him to miss the past two games. The fourth-year wideout remains on Atlanta’s active roster.

Ridley became Atlanta’s unquestioned No. 1 wideout this summer, when the Falcons sent Julio Jones to the Titans, and has 27 receptions for 255 yards and a touchdown this season. The Falcons picked up Ridley’s fifth-year option earlier this year. With Jones out of the picture, a Ridley extension would appear imminent in 2022.

Though Kyle Pitts‘ presence will become even more pivotal, the Falcons will be down to a skeleton crew at receiver against the Jets. They have the likes of Olamide Zaccheaus, a third-year UDFA, and Tajae Sharpe in the fold. Atlanta, however, has also done well to coax quality run- and pass-game work from Cordarrelle Patterson, who leads the team with 354 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns.

NFC Notes: Washington, Gallup, Ridley

June 20th, 2021 at 7:20pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Washington Football Team was always meant to be a temporary name after Washington ditched their old nickname. Then it became somewhat popular with fans, leading to some consideration of making it permanent. That appears less likely now, as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office just “issued an initial refusal” of the team’s attempt to trademark the name, Sam Fortier of the Washington Post reports. The decision cited the “generic geographic nature of the request.”

That doesn’t mean they can’t use the name Washington Football Team for the 2021 season, it just means they can’t enforce the trademark right now for things like merchandising. However, experts that Fortier spoke to seem to think the franchise has a good chance of getting this decision overturned on appeal. Either way, it might further incentivize owner Dan Snyder to go with something entirely new. One expert suggested to Fortier the team could add new elements to make the brand more distinctive, like a mascot. A ‘Football Team’ mascot would certainly be something to behold.

Here’s more from around the NFC on a quiet Sunday evening:

Sticking in the NFC East for a moment. It’s “unlikely” that receiver Michael Gallup is on the Cowboys’ roster beyond this season, Jon Machota of The Athletic writes. Machota argues there’s “just not enough salary cap space,” to fit contracts for Gallup, Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. A third-round pick in 2018, Gallup is entering the final year of his rookie deal and will be looking to get paid next offseason. Machota does think there’s “a scenario” where Cooper deals with injuries or regresses and the team opts to move on from him and keep Gallup, but that they won’t likely be back together. The Colorado State product is coming off a solid season where he turned 59 catches into 843 yards and five touchdowns, mostly without Dak Prescott. In his last year with Prescott, in 2019, he had 1,107 yards and six scores in only 14 games.
After trading Julio Jones, the Falcons will be leaning heavily on Calvin Ridley this season. As such, there was understandably some concern when it was announced a couple weeks ago that Ridley had undergone foot surgery. Fortunately, we’ve got another positive update to pass along. The foot injury was actually something Ridley dealt with during the 2020 season, and not a new injury suffered this offseason, the wideout told the media recently, via Scott Bair of the team’s official site. “It was just minor,” Ridley said. “I can walk and all that right now. I’m taking it one day at a time.” He also added that he’s “pretty sure” he’ll be ready for training camp, although Bair writes “that remains a bit of an unknown at this stage.” Either way, it doesn’t sound like anything to panic about.
In case you missed it, Bears linebacker Roquan Smith is saying he isn’t worried about a potential contract extension.

Surgery For Falcons’ Calvin Ridley

June 9th, 2021 at 11:44am CST by Zachary Links

Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley recently underwent minor foot surgery (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). As a result, he’ll be unable to take the field during minicamp. Fortunately, it’s more of a cleanup than a serious operation, so Ridley should be good to go in time for training camp.

Ridley set new career watermarks last year with 90 grabs for 1,374 yards. The former No. 26 overall pick also found pay dirt nine times. In an otherwise trying year for the Falcons, Ridley was a bright spot. All in all, he’s got 217 catches, 3,061 yards, and 26 touchdowns to his credit.

Now, the Falcons will be counting on Ridley more than ever with Julio Jones out of the picture. And, with some the much needed cap relief that came from the Jones deal, the Falcons should be able to start extension talks with him in the near future. For now, the 2018 first-round pick is signed through 2022, thanks to his fifth-year option worth $11.116MM.