Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t heard any Calvin Ridley news from the NFL

The Jacksonville Jaguars made headlines when they acquired Calvin Ridley before last year’s trade deadline because he was and is still serving an indefinite suspension for betting on NFL games. Although Ridley applied for reinstatement, he and the Jags are still waiting for an answer from the NFL.

Head coach Doug Pederson met with the media at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine and says the team hasn’t gotten any updates from the league regarding Ridley’s status.

He hasn’t been cleared yet, so I’m just waiting for that day, anticipating the day he’s cleared by the NFL”, Pederson said. “We’re looking forward to that day. I can only go off what I’ve seen on film. He’s excitable, he’s a top receiver in this league when he’s on his game. I’m excited when that day comes that we can embrace him onto our team. He gives us another weapon potentially for Trevor [Lawrence]”.

A second-round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2018, Ridley was a highly productive player in 2020, hauling in 90 receptions for 1374 yards with nine touchdowns. However, he regressed the following year and retired midseason, citing mental health as the main reason.

Late in 2021, Ridley was caught betting on games and was suspended despite the fact that the was retired. Nevertheless, the Jaguars’ brass believed he can still be a top player, in the league, so they traded for him last year.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are waiting for the NFL to clear Calvin Ridley

If/when Ridley is reinstated, the Jaguars will have one of the best wide receiver corps in the league. He’ll round out a group that includes Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, both of whom posted career numbers last year.

And at this point, there’s not much the Jaguars can do but wait to hear from the league. The truth is that Ridley has stayed in good shape and has avoided getting in trouble, so it’s fair to wonder what’s taking the NFL so long to make a decision. On the other hand, there’s still plenty of time left to reinstate him.

Organized Team Activities start in late May and players cannot have contact with the team. Then again, knowing a definite decision on Ridley would help the Jaguars prepare for the offseason. Even though there’s a high chance he’ll be cleared, the Jaguars need to be ready for a scenario where he isn’t.

The Jaguars have stayed busy the last few days trying to keep their players from leaving. Learning Ridley’s status for the 2023 season would be great news ahead of free agency.