‘I bet 1500 total I don’t have a gambling problem’: Calvin Ridley reacts to suspension
"Just gone be more healthy when I come back."
Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley took to Twitter on Monday shortly after news broke of his one-year suspension from the NFL for betting on games.
“I bet 1500 total I don’t have a gambling problem,” Ridley tweeted before noting that he “couldn’t even watch football at that point.”
“Just gone be more healthy when I come back,” he added.
Ridley stepped away from football after Week 8 to deal with mental health concerns. During that time, Ridley reportedly “placed multi-legged parlay bets” involving three, five and eight games which included the Falcons to win.
Per the NFL, Ridley did not use any inside information, and no Falcons coaches or players were aware that he was gambling at the time. The violation reportedly took place in November.
The NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Ridley was caught because he used his phone to place the bets. The NFL can work with its gambling partners to gather information on its players and coaches and prevent potential violations.
“The NFL was made aware of it, conducted an investigation, and through their gambling partners were able to corroborate the information,” Garafolo said Monday on the NFL Network.
Ridley will be allowed to petition for reinstatement on Feb. 23, 2023. He has three days to appeal the decision.
In a statement, the Falcons said they cooperated with the NFL’s investigation.
“We were first made aware of the league’s investigation on Feb. 9,” the Falcons said in the statement. “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. With the decision that was made by the NFL, any further questions on the investigation should be directed to the league office.”
Prior to Ridley’s suspension, the Patriots reportedly were one of the teams interested in pursuing him.
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