Jaguars' Calvin Ridley Reinstated by NFL After Suspension for Gambling

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have another offensive weapon in 2023 after reaching the playoffs this past season.

ESPN's Adam Schefter relayed Monday that the NFL reinstated wide receiver Calvin Ridley from his suspension.

When Ridley was a member of the Atlanta Falcons, he was suspended indefinitely and for at least the length of the 2022 campaign for betting on games.

Ridley said in a statement, via NFL.com's Kevin Patra, that being reinstated ended a "challenging chapter" of his career, which he also noted was "self-inflicted":

"Today's reinstatement by the NFL brings an end to a challenging chapter of my professional career, one that was self-inflicted and began with an isolated lapse in judgement. I have always owned my mistakes and this is no different. 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."

The Jaguars also released a statement following Monday's ruling:

The NFL's March 2022 announcement about the suspension said an investigation revealed the gambling took place when Ridley was away from the team.

"A league investigation uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way," the announcement read. "Nor was there evidence suggesting any awareness by coaches, staff, teammates, or other players of his betting activity."

For his part, Ridley said he bet a total of $1,500:

Jacksonville acquired the wide receiver via trade in November with an eye on the future.

That future will come in the 2023 season with this news, and the team also made sure tight end Evan Engram will still be on the roster by placing the franchise tag on him, per Schefter.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence will have Ridley, Engram, Travis Etienne, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones at his disposal, which will only elevate expectations in 2023 after the Jaguars stunningly came back to beat the Los Angeles Chargers and then pushed the eventual-champion Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason.

While Ridley played just five games in 2021 and missed the entire 2022 season, he posted 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns during the 2020 campaign as a game-changing playmaker who can stretch opposing defenses vertically or run underneath routes.

His presence alone figures to open up more space for the other talented options, and anything less than an AFC South crown would be a disappointment for the Jaguars.