'Free My Dawg!’ Falcons’ Cordarrelle Patterson on Calvin Ridley Vs. Deshaun Watson Suspensions

Ridley has been suspended for the year, while Watson just six games.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley bet on his team to win a football game last year. With Ridley breaking that NFL rule, he earned himself a year-long suspension and won't be playing for the Falcons this season.

Meanwhile, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson received 25 claims of sexual assault. He allegedly hurt women, yet he only received six games of a suspension.

Many NFL fans are frustrated at the length of Watson's suspension, especially when it compares to other less harmful offenses, like Ridley's.

Another person frustrated with the outcome is Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson, who took to Twitter to vent his frustrations.

Free my dawg!! pic.twitter.com/ce1Gx8BSLI

— cordarrelle patterson (@ceeflashpee84) August 1, 2022

Watson's ruling comes after an exhaustive investigation into the case, in which 25 female massage therapists filed civil lawsuits against him starting in March 2021. Watson agreed to settle 20 of the 24 civil lawsuits in June and reportedly has reached deals with three more as of Monday.

The star quarterback, who was nearly traded to the Atlanta Falcons in March before re-routing to the Browns, has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.

Judge Sue Robinson heard arguments from Watson, the NFLPA and the NFL in June.

If the ruling stands and Watson misses the first six games, he will lose $333,000 in salary, or about 0.14 percent of his record $230 million guaranteed contract. Watson will lose none of his $44.9 million signing bonus, of which he received the first $15 million Monday.

For precedent, Watson’s six-game suspension mirrors past penalties for Dallas Cowboys' running back Ezekiel Elliott and ex-Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Watson’s case — like Elliott’s and Roethlisberger’s — lacked criminal charges.

Despite all of this, the NFL still suspended Ridley — who did not commit a crime — a full year.

This is just the latest example of the NFL's out-of-touch and outdated rules. While both Ridley and Watson violated rules and breached their contracts, the optics this has on the NFL do not look good whatsoever.