Falcon Report

'Free Calvin Ridley!' Falcons Ex Sounds Off on Deshaun Watson Suspension

Ridley has been suspended for the year, while Watson just 11 games.

Jeremy Brener

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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 11 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 former Falcons linebacker Daren Bates, who took to social media to vent his anger and frustrations.

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.

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

It can be argued that this is the latest example of the NFL's out-of-touch and outdated rules.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 for the NFL do not look good whatsoever.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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