Calvin Ridley, who is associated with the Atlanta Falcons, said that he will be stepping back from football while citing “mental wellbeing” as the reason. The wide receiver has also been inactive in the past few games of the ongoing season.

In a statement released on Ridley’s social media, he said, “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.”

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The 26-year-old, who was picked by the Falcons in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, added in the statement, “This will help me be the best version of myself now and in the future” while thanking his family, friends, fans and Atlanta Falcons management.

He was present at all of Atlanta’s practices this week and was at a community event in the city that was held by the team.

Ridley reportedly attended the practice sessions conducted by Falcons this week and even attended a community event held in Atlanta. However, his second game of the season on Sunday to deal with a “personal matter”. He made an appearance in the game against Miami Dolphins last week, which the Falcons won by a thin margin.

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While speaking at a media briefing on October 21, Ridley addressed the personal issue but refused to give away details about it. The Falcons wide receiver has not spoken publicly since.

He said, “I mean, in today’s world, me personally, it should not matter, you should mind your business”, according to reports from ESPN. Ridley later added, “But in today’s world, yeah, I do. To me, if I say it is personal, that means it is personal.”

The 26-year-old did clarify that he believes it is going to be a short-term issue.