Calvin Ridley's Future is Uncertain With the Atlanta Falcons

Calvin Ridley's Future is Uncertain With the Atlanta Falcons

After just five games this year with the Atlanta Falcons, wide receiver Calvin Ridley decided to step away. In a statement released on social media, Ridley stated that he was struggling and he needed to step away for his mental wellbeing.

Since the statement that he released on Halloween, there hasn't been much of an update on Ridley nor has he returned to the Falcons. Recently, Steve Wyche of the NFL Network had this to say about Ridley's situation.

In a situation like this, perhaps a new start is exactly what Ridley needs. Not every circumstance is the same but in the NHL, Robin Lehner was open about his mental health issues during his time with the Buffalo Sabres. That offseason, he ended up signing with the New York Islanders which in his words "saved his life". A change of scenery could be something mutually beneficial for both Calvin Ridley and the Atlanta Falcons here.

For Ridley, in 2020 he had the best year of his career putting up 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. If he is really on the trading block, teams around the NFL will be lining up to bring the dynamic playmaker in.

In his first three years in the league, his 16 game pace was 1,113 yards on 79 catches and nine touchdowns per year. He's a valuable asset to any offense and the Falcons, who may be looking to start a rebuild, could use any draft capital returned in a trade to help launch their rebuilding process.

Ridley has one more year remaining on his rookie deal at $11.1 million which for a number one receiver, is a pretty appealing price before he is set to cash in on a new deal.

Obviously, Ridley's health comes first and the most important factor in all of this is Ridley getting right. This will certainly be a situation to monitor in the offseason as his future in Atlanta is certainly an unknown.

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