The suspension covered the entire NFL season, and he has yet to sign with another NFL team. In five games in , the wideout caught 31 balls for yards and two scores. Brett Smiley was a co-founder of Sports Handle, which joined forces with the US Bets team in November He focused on the sports betting industry and legislation.

He's a recreational sports bettor and DFS player himself, focusing on the NFL. In a past life, Smiley practiced commercial litigation in New York City and previously wrote for FOX Sports and SI. He lives in New Jersey with his family. This site contains commercial content. Calvin Ridley Actually Bet More On Falcons Games Than He And NFL Revealed Records obtained by Sports Handle show more extensive betting activity by Brett Smiley.

March 11, in Features. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. Sign Up For The Sports Handle Newsletter! Share Tweet Share. Brett Smiley Brett Smiley was a co-founder of Sports Handle, which joined forces with the US Bets team in November We may be compensated for the links provided on this page.

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February 29, Best Betting Sites. ESPN BET Promo Code: HANDLE. Ridley stepped away from the field after just five games in , citing mental health reasons. Last offseason, his gambling violations came to light. On Monday, he put out a remorseful, yet forward-focused statement on his reinstatement, per NFL Media.

I have great respect for the game and am excited for the opportunity to restart my career in Jacksonville. I look forward to showing my new coaches, teammates, and the entire Jaguars organization exactly who I am and what I represent as a player and person.

At the trade deadline, back in November, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded for the year-old wideout. Interestingly enough, Ridley actually bet on his Falcons to beat the Jaguars in Week 12, including it in a parlay he placed back in , per The Ringer.

As for what the Jaguars gave up to acquire Ridley, it's a bit complicated. NFL Media reported in that if Ridley was reinstated by a certain date, Atlanta would receive a fifth-round pick.

If he is not reinstated by the date, it's a sixth-round pick. Then, if Ridley makes the Jaguars in , the Falcons will receive a fourth-round pick. If he hits a playing-time milestone, it's a third-round pick. If the Jaguars get a long-term deal done with Ridley, the pick turns into a second-rounder.

The Jaguars expressed their excitement in being able to finally see what Ridley looks like alongside Pro Bowl quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Calvin is a proven playmaker and we are excited to see him compete among and with his new teammates, first during our Offseason Program in April and ultimately into the season, as we collectively pursue a championship for Jacksonville.

The former No. He's one of three players in Falcons history with over catches, 3, receiving yards, and 25 receiving touchdowns in their first four seasons, along with Julio Jones and Andre Rison Now with the year-old Ridley fully available, he could potentially play a large role in Doug Pederson's offense in

Ridley said that was rock bottom for him but says he now feels stronger mentally and physically than he has ever felt and he's looking forward to his return to the game -- and to expect big things with the Jaguars. With Trevor Lawrence?

I'm giving Jacksonville 1, yards a season, period," he wrote. Election We'll notify you here with news about. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Calvin Ridley: 'I made a stupid mistake' betting on NFL games.

By MICHAEL DIROCCO. Palace shares update on Princess Kate as rumors swirl about her health. Feb 29, PM. Arrest made in murder of pregnant Amish woman found dead in her Pennsylvania home. Ozempic, Mounjaro users talk about changes to family life after weight loss.

Mar 1, AM. Beyonce rocks a mullet, red hair, bangs and more for CR Fashion Book. Mar 1, PM. House Republicans release more Jan. ABC News Live. Because the NFL has a system in place for this exact scenario. The rise of legalized sports betting across the United States has led to a network of safeguards aimed at preventing insiders from using their knowledge to bet on games.

To do so, he had to open an account with the book that connected him to his bets by either a Social Security Number or bank account. Genius specifically specializes in protecting the integrity of games where betting is widespread.

The bets were placed through the Hard Rock Sportsbook app; the activity was flagged and reported to Genius Sports, the firm that handles sports betting data and info for the NFL. Genius notified the NFL, which opened an investigation.

On February 9, the league roped the Atlanta Falcons into the mix. Players, staffers or even executives who attempt to bet on games under their own accounts will be similarly sniffed out. That seems like a temporary work-around, but would draw red flags as well.

Once submitted to US Integrity, the organization checks with all other sportsbooks to see if a similar suspicious wager has been detected. A niche market where a user is demonstrating an edge for an unknown reason would also be suspicious. Betting larger sums, especially within a pattern that suggests some kind of inside information, would almost certainly be flagged by Genius and definitely flagged by the sportsbook taking the action.

The lesson is clear. They could try and avoid the system by placing bets through intermediaries, but any suspicious activity will also draw eyeballs from a league eager to protect the integrity of its game and sportsbooks not interested in losing money to inside information.

Ridley went the first way and got caught. The NFL is hoping his indefinite, at-least-one-year suspension is enough to prevent anyone else under its employ to try the latter. Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services.

Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage.

In recent weeks, a number of NFL players have been suspended for violating the league's gambling policy. Some of them bet on NFL games. Others bet on non-NFL games, but did so while inside a team facility. Both are violations, and both resulted in players being banned anywhere from six games to a full season or more.

If there's anyone who knows this policy better than any player by now, it's Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley. While away from the Atlanta Falcons during the season, Ridley placed bets on NFL games not involving the Falcons and was accordingly suspended for the entirety of the season.

Ridley says seeing numerous players get suspended even after being alerted to the reasons he was banned bothers him a bit. I hope it doesn't happen to me. 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 all right though. 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. I was looking for anything to take my mind off of things and make the day go by faster. I put the Falcons in on it. I was just doing it to root on my boys, basically. I was totally off the grid.

The Falcons selected Ridley with the 26th pick of the draft out of Alabama. He had receiving yards as a rookie, in his second season and exploded for 1, yards in The Falcons traded Ridley to the Jaguars in November in exchange for draft compensation.

He was able to petition for reinstatement on Feb. Get all-access to exclusive stories. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs.

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