With the influx of sports betting across the States of America, it was perhaps inevitable that there would be a crackdown on both professional and collegiate athletics regarding players, coaches, and management taking part in the activity. Earlier this week, the National Football League (NFL) suspended three more players indefinitely for violations of The Shield’s rules regarding gambling, while a fourth earned a six-game ban. The three indefinitely suspended players can apply for reinstatement at the end of the 2023-24 season, but for their careers, the damage might already be done.
Indianapolis Colts Lose Players
There were two members of the Indianapolis Colts, including one player who was expected to vie for a starting job, that were joined by a free agent in being suspended. The two Colts players were cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, Sr., and defensive end Rashod Berry, who were joined by free agent Demetrius Taylor in the minimum season-long suspension. The two members of the Colts, after the suspensions were announced, became former members of the team as management cut them soon afterward.
The Tennessee Titans will also have to do without the services of a player, albeit for a shorter time. Right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere will be suspended for six games, although he can access the team’s facilities in the preseason. Petit-Frere was deemed to have been a lesser infraction than the other three players as he was betting on non-NFL activities from the team’s facilities, whereas the other men were allegedly placing bets on NFL activities including Colts games.
An Epidemic of Sports Betting? NFL Tries to Stop Surge in Gambling
Sports betting or gambling-related suspensions has certainly increased in the NFL over the past couple of years. The NFL, like many professional sports leagues, has a steadfast rule that players are not supposed to bet on sports and especially their own teams. Although popular pros (and now Hall of Famers) Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were suspended by the NFL in 1963 for gambling offenses, there was not another gaming-related suspension until quarterback Art Schlichter was hit with a suspension from the league in 1983.
Over the past couple of years, however, there have been ten different suspensions handed down by Commissioner Roger Goodell to look to protect the integrity of The Shield. Former Atlanta Falcon (and current Jacksonville Jaguar) Calvin Ridley was first suspended in 2022 for gambling on NFL games while he was on injured reserve. Ridley received the “indefinite suspension” and sat out the 2022 playing year, but was reinstated after the end of that season.
In April, five more players received various suspensions, including four players from the Detroit Lions. Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C. J. Moore received the “indefinite” suspension and were subsequently released by the Lions. Two more Lions, wide receivers Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams, were handed six-game suspensions for their violations. A fifth player, Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney, also will be out for at least the 2023 season.
The sudden influx of players violating the gambling rules has prompted the NFL to travel to each of the summer camps that teams are holding for their rosters of players. In these meetings, the NFL is looking to reemphasize some of the rules that players, coaching, management, and ownership must follow (“don’t bet on NFL games,” “don’t bet from team facilities”). Whether this will stanch the sudden flood of gambling by members of the National Football League remains to be seen.