After a surprisingly rough start to the 2021 season, Atlanta Falcons’ No. 1 wide receiver Calvin Ridley made his decision to step away from football to take care of his mental health until further notice.
“These past few weeks have been very challenging and as much as I’d like to be on the field competing with my teammates, I need to step away from football at this time and focus on my mental wellbeing,” Ridley wrote in a tweet on October 31. “This will help me be the best version of myself now and in the future. I want to thank my teammates, the entire Atlanta Falcons organization, our great fans, my friends, and my family for all of their support during this time.”
The following week, the Falcons placed him on the non-football injury list to keep him sidelined for at least three weeks with hopes of a return. Unfortunately for Atlanta, Ridley never returned, nor gave an update, leaving NFL fans questioning his state of mind and attacking him via social media.
However, Ridley has finally broken his silence amid the senseless attacks, to stick up for himself.
ALL the latest Falcons news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Falcons newsletter here!
Ridley Responds to Insensitive Tweet
On Wednesday, February 16, a fan responded to The Falcoholic’s latest tweet featuring an article on Calvin Ridley’s mental health.
“In Calvin Ridley’s last Snapchat story, he was on a yacht in Miami. I think his mental health is just fine,” the fan wrote.
Ridley, who has not said anything on social media since Halloween regarding his mental state, replied, “Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale lol.”
Following a lot of backlash from Ridley’s supporters, the fan has since deleted his tweet.
Glad to see Calvin Ridley seemingly in a good place. Don’t want to assume, but he looks to be happy surrounded by his loved ones.
Jeanna Thomas Backs Ridley With Powerful Article
The article titled “Calvin Ridley’s mental health is not any of our business” that the above fan had attempted to troll was written by one of The Falcholic’s top contributors, Jeanna Thomas.
Thomas gets very personal, sharing a story about her grandfather who suffered from PTSD and depression after fighting for our country in WWII. She then shifts into Ridley’s situation and the current mental crisis that our country is currently facing in an attempt to educate the reader so that the assumptions and the ignorant comments on what Ridley (and others) is facing can be put to rest.
“We’re still hearing about how Calvin Ridley “doesn’t look like he’s struggling with his mental health,”” Thomas writes. “It’s an ignorant and cruel perspective, and greatly overestimates how good we are at telling when someone is struggling.
“First of all, we have no idea what’s happening with Ridley’s mental health or what type of treatment he’s been pursuing. We have no idea what this man is going through, what caused it, what extenuating circumstances he may be dealing with, what kind of support system he has around him, or what his state of mind is. And it would be wildly irresponsible to speculate, so we’re not going to do that here or in the comment section.”
READ NEXT:
- Falcons RB Pushes for New Contract Deal
- Proposed Offseason Trade Sends Falcons’ Calvin Ridley to Browns
- Bengals Safety Opens Up About Falcons Release
Comments
Calvin Ridley Breaks Offseason Silence After Insensitive Fan Tweet