Calvin Ridley Trade Rumors: Eagles, Falcons Neared Deal Before Gambling Suspension

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Calvin Ridley was reportedly close to joining the Philadelphia Eagles. 

The Falcons nearly traded the wide receiver to the Eagles this offseason before talks halted when Atlanta realized he would be suspended for the 2022 season for gambling on NFL games, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports said on the Takeoff with John Clark podcast (h/t Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia):

“It was actually funny because they were one of the teams, they were close to a deal with Atlanta for Calvin Ridley and Atlanta backed out at the last second. And Philly was like, ‘What’s going on?’ They couldn’t really tell them. So Philly wasn’t too happy and then after, looked at it like, ‘Alright, Atlanta, thanks.’ Atlanta did business the right way. They weren’t allowed to say anything, again, the legalities of it, couldn’t say a word. They just had to pull out. 

“But, man, if Philly could have gotten a talent like Calvin Ridley when he didn’t have these issues, that would have been good for them. Again, they’re aggressive. Howie (Roseman) is always really aggressive. That would have been big, especially with a lot of Alabama guys. That would have been a good one had he not had the issues, but he did. So Atlanta just had to pull out and couldn’t tell them for a couple weeks why.”

The Eagles thought the Falcons had received a better offer for Ridley, per Glazer, though it’s unclear what Philadelphia would’ve given up to land the 2018 first-round pick. However, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said on 92.9 The Game‘s Dukes and Bell that Atlanta’s asking price included a first-round pick.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday that a few teams reached out to Atlanta about trading for Ridley, but the Falcons declined discussions because they knew he was under investigation.

The NFL announced Monday that Ridley would be suspended for the 2022 season after it concluded he bet on games during a five-day period in November while he was away from the team to focus on his mental health.

The 27-year-old can appeal the suspension, but it’s unclear if he plans to do so. If he appeals and the decision is upheld, he can’t apply for reinstatement until Feb. 15, 2023.

In addition to the Eagles, Ridley was drawing interest from the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, according to Boardroom’s Jordan Schultz. If not for his suspension, Ridley likely would have been on a new team in 2022.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported in January that the Falcons and Ridley “could be looking for a fresh start” ahead of the 2022 campaign. His prediction was that the Alabama product had played his final game for Atlanta.

Ridley has been one of Matt Ryan’s go-to receivers since his arrival in Atlanta in 2018. In 49 games, he has caught 248 passes for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns. 

Now that he’ll be off the field for a year, it’s unclear what the future holds for Ridley, who might’ve landed a significant contract extension entering the final season of his rookie deal in 2022.