ATLANTA – Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot is not ready to make 2022 plans to be without Calvin Ridley, who entered this past season as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver but missed the final 11 games while addressing his mental health.
Fontenot and his staff have started their offseason work, which will include player evaluations and ranking needs for the NFL draft and free agency. The Falcons have the No. 8 overall pick in the first round of the draft, which is set for April 28-30 in the Las Vegas area.
Ridley’s immediate and long-term future with the Falcons remained uncertain for the final two months of the season after he was a last-minute scratch before the team’s 19-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 31.
On that day, Ridley explained his absence when he wrote on his Twitter account “I need to step away from football at this time and focus on my mental well being.”
Ridley has not provided another update on his plans.