Over the years, sports leagues have taken gambling from their own players very seriously. If you get caught betting on games in your own league, then there is a very good chance that you are going to get hit with some stiff punishment.
Well, that is exactly what happened to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley today. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Ridley has been suspended for a whole year after an investigation revealed that he had been betting money on a plethora of NFL games, including Falcons matches.
Ridley had left the Falcons for mental health reasons mid-season, and as it's been revealed, the bets came following his departure from the roster. Despite this, it is very much against the rules to bet on NFL games, and as a result, Ridley is done for 2022. What makes this interesting is that the Falcons had received a plethora of offers for Ridley, but they didn't budge on the deals because they knew Ridley would be suspended.
As for Ridley himself, he responded to the reports today by stating that he does not have a gambling problem and that he only bet a grand total of $1500 on these games. Regardless, the amount was enough to get him suspended for an entire year, which doesn't bode well for his career with the Falcons.
Stay tuned to HNHH for all of the latest news and updates regarding this story.