Google News The Atlanta Falcons support Calvin Ridley, his decision to focus on his mental health
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 893
Atlanta Falcins owner Arthur Blank says the team would absolutely love to have wide receiver Calvin Ridley back for the 2022 season. Ridley missed 12 games this season as he stepped away from football to focus on his mental health.
Ridley didn't travel with the team to London for their game against the New York Jets. On Halloween, Ridley announced he was stepping away from football to focus on his career. "It's a difficult journey. It's not unique in America," Blank said, per ESPN.
"It's not unique on sports teams or in community populations. There's a lot of trauma today. And so I think he's committed to resolving his issues and getting them behind him. Doesn't mean they're necessarily out of his head but they are behind him and he'll be able to function fully, not only on the field but off the field as well.
So where that'll take him, I don't know."
The Falcons have supported Ridley
Ridley was one of the Falcons' key player before he decided to step away from the game. "I know we've done everything we possibly could do to be there for him and we'll see how that unfolds in terms of him with our team or the future with us or somebody else in the NFL," Blank added.
Ridley hasn't made any public comments since stepping away from football. "I will tell you what I know. What I know is that we'd love to have the young man back to play for us," Blank said. "But, you know, where that sits with him, I don't know.
We haven't talked to him directly, and at some point, with free agency coming up upon us and draft after that, we have to have a clearer understanding about that and I think he and his agents certainly understand that as well."