Philadelphia fans clearly don’t like Jalen Rigor. Image: Getty Images
On Monday, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season due to a five-day period during which he said he bet $1,500 on NFL games.
I’m not here to delve into how the punishment doesn’t fit the crime, or how other players have been suspended for far fewer games for much more heinous acts, or how players participate in fantasy leagues with buy-ins – that’s fine. , but betting on games where the players aren’t even involved (Ridley bet on the Falcons but was off the team at the time) is blasphemy. All I’m here to discuss is how badly Ridley was treated and no one thinks any other player should be the victim of a similar fate.
Well, I think not.
Philadelphia Eagles fans took to Twitter to inform the NFL that their former first round wide receiver Jalen Reygor also bet on NFL games last season. Was he? There is no evidence that he was, but these fans saw what happened to Calvin Ridley and tried to make Rigor suffer the same fate.
The narrative around Reagor is well known by now. Not only is he one of the most annoying wide receivers to root for as he has had numerous hits on his resume, including two potential wins against the New York Giants in Week 12, he was also drafted one pick ahead of Justin Jefferson, who is now widely considered the top three receivers in the NFL.
However, despite a disappointing performance and costly falls, Reagor was the team’s fourth-leading receiver with 33 receptions for 299 yards and a pair of points. He was one of five Eagles to throw multiple touchdowns last season. Yes, he’s not good, but he’s not bad enough for the team to be better off without him, right? Sure, but it’s not always about what’s best for the team, sometimes it’s about sending a message.
In 2020, just three games into Rigor’s career, he was already making a fuss with Eagles fans. The team started the season 0-2-1 and just drew against the modest Bengals. Fans were rightly upset. They expected more from Carson Wentz, Doug Pederson and company. However, Rhaegor did not. He tweeted (now deleted) directed at Eagles fans, saying “I see everything you all say, keep the same energy.” Reagor tried to back off with his next tweet: “Love you all”, but the damage had already been done. Rhaegor has lost his new city. He didn’t even play in that Week 3 game against Cincinnati, so the fans didn’t even get upset about Reagora, but when he got involved, he set himself on target, and since then, every drop, every bad route, every wrong step Reagora is another reason why fans are unhappy with him.
It seems that dissatisfaction has reached a boiling point. Fans don’t care what will happen to Rigor. They have DeVonta Smith, Kes Watkins and Dallas Godert, they don’t need Reagor anymore. Trade him, let him go, get him suspended after facing false accusations of betting on NFL games, it doesn’t matter. The fans are done with him and they are not afraid to show it.