Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has nothing but positive to say of Calvin Ridley as he insists the star wide receiver is determined to make the things right following his gambling suspension. Ridley last played in the NFL in Week 6 of the 2021 season – he was playing for the Atlanta Falcons at the time.

After taking a break to address his mental health, Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season after the NFL found him guilty of betting on NFL games. In March, Ridley was reinstated and he is set to continue his career in Jacksonville.

“One of the things I really find, and the respect I have for Calvin, is just the communication he’s had with us, and us with him. I make that a point, to be open and honest with all the players, especially a veteran player of his caliber.

He’s excited to be here, he wanted to be here, he’s not going anywhere. He now lives in Jacksonville, Florida, so it’s good to see him here as well,” Pederson said, via Pro Football Talk.

Ridley determined to make the things right

After being reinstated by the NFL, 28-year-old Ridley sounded confident in his chances of making a very strong return in 2023.

“If I’m being real, if I’m being honest, I’ve been good at football all my life. Not to be — I’m trying to be humble, right? Like I said, I’ve been pretty good at football all my life and I not only been good, I also worked to be good.

They say 2 years off, but what about the healing process that I got to do with that time off. What if I got faster? What if I got stronger? Obviously, I got wiser. Why can’t I be better? But I see myself being a good player, I do,” Ridley said in April. It remains to be seen if Ridley can make a strong return this upcoming season.