16 February 2023 , 15:50
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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley has taken steps to return to the NFL for the 2023 season by applying for reinstatement.
The former first-round pick was hit with an indefinite suspension in August last year after an investigation found that he had bet on NFL matches during the 2021 season.
It was initially reported that his suspension would be for at least one year but it is not yet known if the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell will accept his application.
Ridley had been one of the better wide receivers in the league after being drafted to Atlanta Falcons from Alabama in 2018. In his first year in that role, he went for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in just 15 games, and looked primed to become a superstar.
While out for the 2022 season, many NFL fans may be forgiven for forgotting that Ridley was surprisingly traded by the Falcons to the Jaguars for very little compensation.
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The Falcons have already found Ridley's replacement, in top 10 draft pick Drake London, who impressed in his rookie year with 866 yards.
It remains to be seen if Ridley will be reinstated by the league for this upcoming season.
Ridley was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars while suspendedShould he be successful in his appeal, Ridley will join the ascending Jaguars alongside quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who took a huge leap in the second-half of the 2022 season.
Lawrence had been seen as the best quarterback prospect to enter the draft in 10 years, but questions were already being asked after a woeful first 20 games.
But heading into the 2023 season, it would be tough to find many quarterbacks regarded as superior to Lawrence. His form guided the subpar Jaguars team to a close-fought divisional round playoff loss to eventual Super Bowl winners Kansas City Chiefs.