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Atlanta Falcons owner unsure if Calvin Ridley wants to return to team
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Calvin Ridley’s future with the Atlanta Falcons is uncertain after the standout wide receiver stepped away from football last season to focus on his mental health. If Ridley wants to return to the Falcons, he would be welcomed back with open arms by owner Arthur Blank.
“We love the young man,” Blank told the team website. “He has had a great history in Atlanta. We’d love him to stay in Atlanta. Whether or not he wants to do that—he may decide that he wants a fresh start someplace else. We don’t know that. I don’t know that. I don’t have information to indicate that, but we’ll see how that plays out.”
Ridley is under contract with Atlanta in 2022, but Blank isn’t the first to suggest Ridley may seek a fresh start elsewhere via trade. NFL Network reporters discussed the topic in January after the Falcons’ 2021 season ended. He played in just 5 games in the Falcons’ 2021 season, making his announcement on Oct. 31.
“We’ve been totally supportive in every way that we can be, both emotionally and financially in working with him as well as his agent,” Blank said. “We’ll see, but I’m mostly concerned about him as a human being.”
In 49 career games, Ridley has 248 catches for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns. He had a career year in 2020, catching 90 passes for 1,374 yards.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.