Jaguars' Calvin Ridley Can Now Officially Apply For Reinstatement

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley can apply for reinstatement starting Wednesday.

The wait for Calvin Ridley to apply for reinstatement into the NFL ended on Wednesday, with the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver entering his first day of eligibility to apply for his return to football.

Ridley can apply for reinstatement starting Wednesday after being suspended by the NFL for a year for gambling.

Ridley, the No. 26 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, caught 217 passes for 3,061 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first three seasons. He played in five games last year before stepping away from the team, catching 31 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns.

With his contract pausing through the suspension, Ridley did not cost the Jaguars anything in 2022. He is set to play on the fifth year of his rookie contract in 2023, worth $11.116 million. 

If Ridley is reinstated, the deal will include the 2023 fifth-rounder, but if he isn’t, then it will turn into a sixth-round pick. The 2024 pick will be at least a fourth-rounder if Ridley makes the team. If he hits a play-time milestone, it’ll be a third-rounder. But, if the Jaguars are able to get a long-term deal done, it will be a second-rounder.  

“Calvin is a guy that I’ve known for a while. We’re the same high school graduation class and met along the camp circuit then and played against him while he was at Alabama," Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk said following the trade. 

"He was one of the top guys drafted in that 2018 class, so obviously an amazing player, amazing route runner, great dude as well, so really excited to be able to get him in the building. I think he’s going to be a big piece for us and the development of the offense. Like I said, excited to get him in here.”

The exact timeline for Ridley's reinstatement is unclear, though the anticipation is for Ridley to eventually be approved to return to the field and, ultimately, join the Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. 

The last player to be reinstated after being suspended for gambling was former defensive back Josh Shaw, who was reinstated on March 20 -- roughly six weeks after the Super Bowl in 2020.