Calvin Ridley Sounds The Alarm on NFL's Gambling Problem
Former Atlanta Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley saw the rough side of the NFL's guidelines on gambling.
Though the NFL heavily promotes gambling to the audiences at home, the league holds a 'no-nonsense' policy concerning gambling activity among players.
As league employees and typically well-paid employees, NFL players are not allowed to partake in betting according to leaguewide guidelines.
In 2021, Calvin Ridley was caught gambling on games, and the league suspended the former All-Pro Bowl pick for an entire season. His case became an example to other athletes.
Nearly a year later, with several instances of gambling NFL players springing up, Ridley is sounding the alarm.
Calvin Ridley Warns Athletes To Stop Testing NFL's Strict Gambling Guidelines
Ridley, now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, warned players of the consequences of violating the league's gambling guidelines.
READ: ANOTHER DETROIT LIONS PLAYER IS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR GAMBLING
The new Jaguars wideout added his wish to see Falcons teammates, aware of Calvin Ridley's behavior, talk him out of it before the league found out and suspended him for an entire year.
Ridley said, as relayed by Fox News Digital:
"Yeah, it bugs me a little because my NFL buddies didn’t look at me and say, ‘Aw man, hell, that’s serious.' I wish they would’ve looked at me and said, ‘Wow, they did him like that? I hope it doesn’t happen to me.’ Because that’s what I would’ve done."
After five games, Ridley announced that he was indefinitely stepping away from football in 2021. Later on, the league announced their discoverings of Ridley's gambling activity.
"If I would’ve seen one of my NFL buddies get slammed like that, I would’ve been a little bit afraid and watching myself. But you know, it is what it is, they have to learn the hard way like I did. It’s gonna be alright though."
Gambling More Common Than Assumed Inside NFL...
In April, the NFL suspended five players — four from the Detroit Lions — after they placed bets through a mobile gambling app.
Calvin Ridley added, "I think, even for me, once I found out I was getting investigated, I didn’t even know . I was like, ‘OK, cool.’ I didn’t know how serious it was until I left that interview.
"It’s just schooling the guys on not to do it. It’s not worth it at all. I really think we don’t understand how serious it is. We kind of go over it and then it’s gone. It’s a real serious offense. You don’t want to do it, mess with the integrity of the game and your job. Just stay away from it if you can."
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers became the latest case of wagering woes. The league began to investigate the Colts on suspicion of gambling. Rodgers was indefinitely suspended for reportedly placing more than one hundred bets with an account using a friend's name.
Ridley was traded from Atlanta to Duval County in Nov. 2022. In his last entire season in 2020, Ridley tallied 1,374 receiving yards, 90 catches and nine touchdowns.
Has the NFL's punishment for players been too steep?
(Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)