Jaguars ‘feel strongly’ that Calvin Ridley will be reinstated in February

Calvin Ridley still hasn’t put on a Jacksonville Jaguars uniform, but the indefinitely suspended wide receiver should be cleared to play in 2023 soon.

On Feb. 15, Ridley will be allowed to apply for reinstatement and the Jaguars don’t sound too concerned that it’ll be denied.

“We feel strongly that way” – #Jaguars HC Doug Pederson on if Calvin Ridley will be reinstated.

He can apply Feb. 15.

They won’t be able to have contact with him football wise until April 17.

— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) January 23, 2023

Ridley, 28, was acquired by the Jaguars in an October trade with the Atlanta Falcons. The former first-round draft pick was suspended during the 2021 season after a league investigation found that he bet on NFL games — including Falcons games — while on the team’s non-football injury list.

Atlanta is set to get a couple of draft picks from the Jaguars in exchange for Ridley, including a third-day selection in 2023. If Ridley is reinstated in a few weeks, Jacksonville will send a fifth-round pick in the upcoming draft. It’d likely be a sixth-rounder going to the Falcons if his reinstatement is delayed.

Another pick in 2024 will depend on the performance and contract status of Ridley at the end of next season.

Ridley caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020 before stepping away from football early in the 2021 season due to mental health concerns.