The Tennessee Titans’ top receiver says his year away from football gave him the tools to better handle adversity.
Calvin Ridley has broken his silence on his 2022 suspension, outlining the mental toll it took on him and how he came back stronger as a result.
Sitting down with ESPN on Friday ahead of his second season with the Tennessee Titans, Ridley explained how he feels he’s grown since his 2022 gambling suspension, a punishment that ultimately cost him his entire campaign.
“The suspension gave me time to rest, get physically better, and mentally stronger,” Ridley said. “After that year, I was ready to come back.”
Ridley was suspended in 2022 after placing bets on a pair of NFL games, including one that featured his team at the time, the Atlanta Falcons, while away from the club on mental health leave.
“I downloaded the app sitting there not knowing that I was breaking a rule or anything,” he noted. “Those were the only two NFL games I bet.”
The league notably found no evidence to suggest that any inside information was used or that any of the games had been compromised.
“I just f***ed up. Period. In a dark moment, I made a stupid mistake,” Ridley reflected in the Players’ Tribune in March 2023. “I wasn’t trying to cheat the game.”
The wideout subsequently found himself barred indefinitely, ultimately traded at the 2022 deadline seven months later to the Jacksonville Jaguars – still suspended – before ultimately returning ahead of the 2023 campaign with his new club. He subsequently signed a 4-year, $92 million deal with the Titans the following winter.
More compelling, however, is that Ridley says the time away was immensely important to his own well-being, helping him learn to manage emotions and maintain a level head.
“I learned a lot of tools during that process,” he shared in the interview. “I still use those things today when it gets hard. I don’t let myself go too far down. I’ll flush out the bad thoughts, refresh my mind every time I go home.”
Following his suspension, the wide receiver has blossomed into an offensive mainstay, leading Tennessee with over 1,000 yards receiving during the 2024 season. Things only appear to be trending upwards for the 30-year-old, with the Titans now led by 2025 first-overall NFL draft pick Cam Ward under center.
“That boy right there is different,” Ward said of his top target. “I ain’t never thrown to no receiver that moves and cuts like him. He’s one of the top-five receivers in the NFL. I’m blessed to play with him because he’s going to make me look good.”
Cam Ward is favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year this season, and Ridley could help him achieve that honor as the QB’s main receiver.
