Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley missed the final 11 games of the 2021 season to deal with mental health issues but, according to the latest NFL rumors, should be back on the field in 2022. In other news, Blake Bortles is going back to the New Orleans Saints, while Marshawn Lynch could get his own NFL studio show.
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NFL Rumors: Calvin Ridley, Blake Bortles, Marshawn Lynch
Calvin Ridley didn’t play all that much in 2021. Coming off a career year, the former first-round pick missed the final 11 games of the season to deal with a mental health issue. However, now that the season is over, General Manager Terry Fontenot said that he believes Ridley will be back on the field in 2022.
“As an organization, we’ve done the best job we could just to support Calvin and do everything we can for him…I wouldn’t assume [that the Falcons play 2022 without Ridley]. Like I said, we handle each situation individually.”
Ridley could return in 2022, but there’s no guarantee he comes back to the Atlanta Falcons. Recent rumors suggest that there is tension between the team and player, and Ridley could be on the move during the offseason. Of course, this is nothing but speculation, and Ridley’s mental health is far more important than the game of football. Only time will tell where Ridley plays next year, if anywhere.
Could get used to Jalen Hurts throwing to Calvin Ridley, Devonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert in Midnight Green.
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ShzCaajuZV
— Philly Nation (@Philly__Nation) January 6, 2022
Blake Bortles Is Back in New Orleans
The BOAT is back. After spending some time with the organization throughout the season, the New Orleans Saints signed quarterback Blake Bortles to a future contract on Tuesday. This means that the quarterback will be around for the offseason, although it doesn’t come close to guaranteeing him a spot on the final roster.
Bortles spent the majority of the 2021 season on and off of the Green Bay Packers roster. Signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, Bortles couldn’t make the Week 1 roster. However, when Aaron Rodgers missed their matchup against the Chiefs, the team re-signed Bortles to serve as Jordan Love’s backup. Bortles first made his way to New Orleans to serve as Ian Book’s emergency backup against the Miami Dolphins.
Bortles is best known for his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the UCF product ranked at or near the bottom of just about every quarterback stat possible. He did, however, lead the Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game in 2017 and earned a big pay raise for his efforts. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to live up to that contract, as the team released Bortles just one year after signing his mega-deal.
With the Blake Bortles era coming to an end in Jacksonville, it was only right… pic.twitter.com/gZOH67lp4L
— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) March 14, 2019
Amazon Turns Focus to Marshawn Lynch
At the height of his career, Marshawn Lynch was one of the most entertaining players in football. On the field, Lynch was perhaps the most ferocious runner in football and was responsible for some of the best highlights of the early 2010’s. Off the field, Lynch’s unwillingness to do press conferences spawned a famous catch phrase.
Now, the man who was just here so he wouldn’t get fined might be on the other side of the microphone. According to Andrew Marchand of The New York Post, Amazon Prime Video wants Lynch to be a reporter and analyst for their Thursday Night Football package.
Similar to Monday Night Football’s alternate broadcast with the Manning brothers, Lynch would be part of a “more relaxed” show. Lynch has experience in this type of atmosphere, as he did make a cameo with the Manning brothers during the 2021 season.
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