Reinstatement anticipated on track

Coach Doug Pederson said Monday "we feel strongly" that Ridley (suspension) will be reinstated this offseason, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Pederson's comments confirm that Ridley's progress toward a return to football activities is proceeding as expected. The wideout is eligible to apply for reinstatement beginning Feb. 15, and provided that the NFL approves him for a return to league activities, the 28-year-old's first tangible contact with the Jaguars could come this offseason, as early as April 17. Ridley was suspended at least the entire 2022 season as the result of him betting on NFL games during a five-day stretch in November 2021, and he hasn't seen the field since. Jacksonville traded the Falcons conditional 2023 and 2024 draft picks to acquire Ridley in November.