Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Calvin Ridley is taking an indefinite leave of absence from football to focus on his mental health. He had already missed two games this season for personal reasons and made the decision he needed to focus on things beyond football. The Atlanta Falcons organization is fully behind his decision. Athletes across all sports have made personal decisions to step away from their sport and focus on their own mental health. Ridley did not play in the Falcons’ Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Falcons’ WR Calvin Ridley will not play today due to a personal mater.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2021
A statement from the Falcons’ wide receiver: https://t.co/8qeHrYltMb
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2021
The impact of mental health in sports hasn’t always been taken as seriously as it should be, but in recent years things have begun to shift. Calvin Ridley is a cornerstone player with the Atlanta Falcons franchise and his long-term health is obviously important. It is unclear how long he will be away from football for now. He will focus on getting healthy and returning to his team and teammates. Putting a timetable on something like that can be difficult and the time will be right when Ridley decides it is time.
Welcome back, @CalvinRidley1! pic.twitter.com/yh73ylNynT
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 24, 2021
Respecting this decision is the best thing anyone can do for the star wide receiver at this time. He can clear his mind and work on fixing what is wrong. The Atlanta Falcons will continue to try and win games without their star wide receiver. We here at Def Pen Sports hope Calvin Ridley gets healthy and returns to the field when he is ready to do just that.
