Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley is stepping away from football to focus on his mental health, he announced Sunday afternoon on Twitter.
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
Ridley was inactive on Sunday, the second game he missed because of a personal matter. He didn’t travel with the Falcons for their game against the Jets in London, but played against the Dolphins last week.
“I mean, in today’s world, me personally, it shouldn’t matter, you should mind your business,” Ridley told reporters Oct. 21 when asked about understanding why people would be interested in the matter. “But in today’s world, yeah I do. To me, if I say it’s personal, that means it’s personal.”
Ridley said then that he believed it would be a short-term issue.
Ridley has 31 receptions and two touchdowns in five games this season for Atlanta.