Jaguars' Calvin Ridley addresses NFL players gambling on games

New Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley had to learn the hard way that the NFL takes its betting policy regarding players very seriously.

Then a member of the Atlanta Falcons, Ridley missed the whole 2022 season after the NFL suspended him for betting on league games. He's now with the Jacksonville Jaguars and has served as a mentor of sorts for his teammates, educating them on why they should stay away from gambling while playing in the NFL.

Still, and especially in the wake of a player like Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions being suspended for the gambling policy while supposedly not being aware of the NFL's stance on the issue, Ridley recently told the media that he doesn't think NFL players understand how serious this is.

“Yeah, it bugs me a little because my NFL buddies didn’t look at me and say, ‘Aw man, hell, that’s serious,’” Ridley told the Florida Times-Union after a mandatory minicamp session earlier this week. "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. 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.”

Ridley has learned, the hard way, that the integrity of the NFL, a multi-billion dollar organization, is literally on the line when players gamble on the sport—even when they're gambling on games they aren't playing in.

“It’s just schooling the guys on not to do it. It’s not worth it at all," he said regarding his messages to NFL players who want to know his story. "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.”

Ridley was drafted by the Falcons in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He's put up 28 touchdowns in four seasons and figures to be more than just an off-field mentor for Jacksonville. He figures to be a big part of the Jaguars' offensive attack in 2023.