After the departure of legendary wide receiver Julio Jones, there was little doubt that young talent Calvin Ridley would become the undisputed new number one for Atlanta, both quarterback Matt Ryan’s favorite target and a fan favorite among the Falcons faithful.
Yet on Sunday, Ridley was absent from Mercedes-Benz Stadium for warm-ups, and he was a surprise inactive for the 1 p.m. kick off. Soon after, the Fox broadcast showed Ridley’s tweet explaining his absence.
“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 tweeted.
This is the second time this season that Ridley has been inactive due to personal mental health matters, and this time, although no timetable for return has been given, it seems like it will be more than a one-week absence.
Ridley is doing what is best for him, and his status as a bona fide NFL star affords him the job security to take the time he needs to recover. For many athletes, however, there is no security whatsoever. For lower-tier professional, amateur and student athletes, taking time off for mental health is met with missed playing opportunities, lost scholarships and cold shoulders.
Mental health in sports is not taken seriously enough. The notion that athletes should be impervious to stress and anxiety will continue to be detrimental to sports culture everywhere unless that assumption changes at all levels.
In America, we tend to revere athletes, whether they’re the quarterback of their high school team, the NCAA Div. I swim captain or the greatest gymnast of all time. This reverence can be positive, but excellence comes with expectations. When success becomes required, it is completely human to struggle with the mounting pressure.
Herein lies the problem: Athletes become machines, means to victory for organizations and fans alike, and can become devalued as people. When gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of the majority of Tokyo 2020 events for mental health issues, the NBC broadcast capitalized on her choice and bravery. Biles’ courage acts as an important example for athletes everywhere, but her story should not be abnormal enough to yield pomp and circumstance.
Athletes get injured all the time, and mental health should be treated as seriously as physical ailments by teams and training staff. Had Biles instead broken her wrist and been unable to compete, her story would have been treated entirely differently.
Thankfully, demands for mental health support in professional leagues are starting to find an audience. Many professional sports leagues have implemented mental health support for players in one form or another.
But the vast majority of athletes do not have access to these programs. And no amount of behind-the scenes support systems will dent the popular contempt that athletes face for taking time off for their mental health. Because of their talents, it can be easy to forget that athletes are just people. It’s time for us to start treating them like it.
