ATLANTA — The Falcons are parting ways with wide receiver Calvin Ridley, sending him to Jacksonville in a trade Tuesday.
11Alive's Maria Martin confirmed the trade, which will include conditional draft compensation coming back to the Falcons.
Ridley hasn't suited up for the Falcons in more than a year - his last game with the team was Oct. 24, 2021. After that point, he left the team for the remainder of the season to prioritize his mental health, and then before the 2022 season, he was suspended for the full year by the NFL for betting on games.
Ridley was Atlanta's first-round pick out of Alabama in 2018. He emerged as a star in the 2020 season, catching 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns - a production that earned him an AP second-team All-Pro nod.
Across four seasons, Ridley played in 49 games for the Falcons, with 248 catches for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns.
The deal to move Ridley came during Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.
"As our team continues its growth, we continue our daily focus on improving our roster and believe this move is the best decision to make at this time. We appreciate Calvin’s contributions to the organization and wish him well on his next steps," Falcons General Manager Terry Fontenot said in a statement.
This was one of several moves the Falcons announced Tuesday. The team also traded safety Dean Marlowe to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a seventh-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Falcons also said it acquired cornerback Rashad Fenton in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, which was in exchange for a 2023 conditional seventh-round pick.