Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was handed a suspension for the entire 2022 NFL season after it was discovered he'd placed bets on NFL games in 2021. According to reports, the bets took place in November, while Ridley was away from the team. NFL insider Mike Garafolo reported that Ridley placed parlay bets on NFL games from his cell phone and that some of the bets involved his own team, the Falcons.
A source informed of the NFL's investigation into Calvin Ridley's gambling tells me the bets did involve the #Falcons.
The NFL's statement says the investigation "uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way."
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 7, 2022
An investigation into the wagers reportedly “uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way.”
ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter indicated that Ridley placed parlay bets ranging from 3-legs to 8-legs, including betting on the Falcons to win. Schefter's report also indicates that Ridley placed the bets while out of state, using his mobile device.
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 is adamant in its findings that no other player, coach, or NFL employee was a participant or was aware of Ridley's actions, maintaining that the games Ridley wagered on were not compromised in any way.
Ridley featured in just five games for the Falcons last year before taking time away from the team for mental health reasons. He last featured in a game in late October, and the wagers reportedly occurred at some point in November.
So how did Calvin Ridley get busted? He was in Florida, and used the only gambling app legal in the state. The app notified a compliance company the NFL has hired called Genius for this kind of thing.
That he was out of state was a factor in Ridley's activity being flagged.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 7, 2022
Albert Breer reports that Ridley placed the wagers using a legal gambling app in Florida. He was busted after the app notified Genius, a company that distributes NFL's real-time stats and official sports betting data to sportsbooks in the US and overseas, flagged his account's activities.
The league announced Ridley's suspension on Monday afternoon, releasing a statement revealing the 27-year-old would miss the entire 2022 season.
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