3 Observations as Jaguars' Calvin Ridley Files for Reinstatement

The former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver could be reinstated this offseason after applying on Wednesday.

Calvin Ridley is one step closer to joining the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

The former Atlanta Falcons receiver officially applied for reinstatement to the NFL on Wednesday, his first day eligible to do so. Now, the Jaguars and Ridley have to just wait and see when the NFL will officially allow him back onto the field and in the facility after his indefinite suspension for gambling. 

Ridley family is overly ready 🙏🏾 ❤️

— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) February 15, 2023

“The thought process of trading for him now, well, you’re betting on the future, right?" Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said when the Jaguars traded for the former first-round pick at last year's trade deadline. 

"You’re putting resources out there to get a top receiver, caliber-type player in this league, and obviously, it goes back to whenever he gets reinstated. The second we can get him in here, it’ll be no different than when we got Zay [WR Zay Jones] and Christian [WR Christian Kirk] and all those guys this year. Just getting him the playbook, getting him caught up, and when the offseason program starts, we can go from there."

With Ridley's application for reinstatement now in the NFL's hands, here are a few thoughts on where the situation goes from here.

A quick, but not instant, resolution should be expected

Today marked an important day in Ridley's process toward joining the Jaguars in Jacksonville. The NFL is a bureaucratic organization and will not instantly reinstate Ridley the day he makes his petition official, but it is important to see Ridley apply on the first day he was eligible to do so.  

Ridley is just one of five players who has ever been suspended by the league for gambling. All four others (Alex Karras, Paul Hornung, Art Schlichter Josh Shaw) were all promptly reinstated the following year after their suspension. All in all, there is no precedent for the NFL to not reinstate Ridley. The expectation in Jacksonville and inside league circles is for Ridley to be reinstated by the NFL, though that could come closer to after the combine and near the start of the new league year than in February. 

It is worth noting that the only player NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended and reinstated for gambling is Shaw, who was reinstated on Mar. 20, 2020 -- roughly six weeks after the Super Bowl.

In short, Ridley will almost assuredly be reinstated, and soon. That doesn't mean it happens today, this week, or even next, but today was one of the most important steps in Ridley's process toward joining the Jaguars. Soon, the final step will be there.

Jaguars have the right ecosystem for Ridley to succeed in and translate to 

Just judging from Ridley's clear excitement on social media, it is obvious the Jaguars' new wide receiver is in a good place when it comes to the prospects of joining the team. Ridley has consistently voiced positivity and enthusiasm about joining the Jaguars, showing that what Doug Pederson predicted following the trade just may be true. 

“I don’t think it’s a concern. For the player, you look at it as a possible fresh start. Kind of rejuvenated, much like myself. Energy level will be high, a new team, and coming back to Florida," Pederson said. "All those things for the player are all positives. From playing, it’s just a matter of once he’s cleared by the league, getting him in here when we can and getting him caught up.”

There is a multitude of things working in Ridley's favor as a receiver coming to Jacksonville, ranging from Trevor Lawrence to Pederson's scheme to rejoining former teammates and peers. As such, there are reasons to believe the Jaguars will be getting a reenergized wideout with a chip on his shoulder when he is eventually reinstated.

Free agent wide receiver group has made the Ridley trade look better and better

Looking at the wide receiver market entering the 2023 offseason, it is hard to say the Jaguars' trade for Ridley didn't give them one of the best deals on the market in some time. Ridley will cost the Jaguars $11,116,000 in 2023, which is a bargain considering the free agent receiver group is headlined by Juju Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers, Allen Lazard, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell, Mack Hollins, Noah Brown, Marvin Jones, and DJ Chark. It is tough to say Ridley at his price isn't a better deal than what the Jaguars would otherwise find in free-agency.

Perhaps there are veterans who are released due to cap reasons, such as Keenan Allen, Adam Thielen, Kenny Golladay, Robert Woods, or Robbie Anderson, but Ridley projects better in 2023 than any of them, even with the fact that he hasn't played in almost two years. Ridley's age, skill set, and low cost make him the best deal on the receiver market in 2023 by a wide margin.