Falcons Prediction: Will Calvin Ridley be Back in 2022?

Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot won't say it, but he has to be prepared to move on without Calvin Ridley next season.

The Atlanta Falcons season ended with a loss to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. The loss dropped the Falcons to 7-10 and put them in position to draft ninth in April's NFL Draft.

Would the season have turned out differently if 2020 leading receiver Calvin Ridley hadn't left the team after having played only five games? Will he be available in 2022?

The Falcons picked up Ridley's fifth-year option of just over $11.1 million in 2022, but they may not be obligated to pay all of it ... or any of it.

Matthew Chambers and our friends at The Falcoholic did an excellent job breaking down the options the Falcons have with Ridley. In summation, because Ridley is on the non-football injury list, the Falcons don't have to count his fourth-year towards his fifth year option.

If they decide to keep Ridley, they could pay him his fourth-year salary again from his rookie contract, $1.97 million.

While being sensitive to any recovery needs Ridley might have, no one rational is going to think part of his recovery needs are a times-five pay increase while not playing.

General manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith addressed the media with their end-of-season press conference on Monday, and on the subject of Ridley, Fontenot continues to hold the line.

"Well, it really hasn't changed," said Fontenot. "As an organization, we've done the best job we could to just support Calvin and do everything we can for him. I know he made the statement when he did, and we made a statement during the season as well. Really up to this point nothing's changed with that.”

We speculated in November based on the comments and actions of the Falcons that they didn't expect Ridley to return in 2021.

He didn't.

With nine months before the Falcons are set to play another game, things could change a lot, but the talking points are still the same.

"Well, look, we have a roster with a lot of players that you can go down and ask that about every single player," said Fontenot when asked if he expected Ridley back in 2022. "Obviously, we're not going to answer those questions. Again, regarding him specifically, nothing's changed. We just continue to support him."

Asked if we should assume he won't be back, Fontenot still wouldn't bite.

"I wouldn't assume anything," said Fontenot. "Like I said, we handle each situation individually. There's so many variables we deal with. We're going to try to add to every position this off-season. So whatever player we're talking about, whether they're under contract, not under contract, we have to be prepared for everything."

Fontenot's answer was a longer way of saying that nothing has changed with regards to Ridley.

Should Ridley return to football, a fresh start may be in his and the Falcons' best interest. Ridley will turn 28 during the season next year, and after a year away from football for non-injury related reasons, it remains to be seen if he has any trade value.

The two most important factors are Ridley's well-being and the Falcons ability to see to his well-being without being at a competitive disadvantage because of his fifth-year option.

Hopefully in 2022 we can return to talking about a healthy Calvin Ridley on the football field. ... in a way that benefits all parties. A smart bet is that the "benefits'' come as Ridley goes.