Didn’t bet on NFL, but it’s still against the rules
The New York Jets are battling for a playoff spot with two games to go in the regular season, but regardless of whether they make it or not, wide receivers coach Miles Austin will not be part of the journey. On Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Rich Cimini reported that Austin had been suspended for at least a year for violating the league’s gambling policy. The NFL later confirmed the report.
ESPN’s source said that this was not a sudden revelation – the league had been investigating the 38-year-old Austin for some time, tracking his gambling activity online.
Austin allegedly bet on sports, though he did not wager on any football games, either professional or college. He also placed bets online while at the Jets’ facility, which is against the rules.
Austin’s attorney and agent, William P. Deni Jr., expressed his anger with the suspension to the media, arguing that Austin did nothing wrong, as he did not bet on NFL games.
“The NFL suspended Miles Austin for wagering from a legal mobile account on table games and non-NFL professional sports,” Deni said. “Miles did not wager on any NFL game in violation of the Gambling Policy for NFL Personnel. He has been fully cooperative with the NFL’s investigation. He is appealing his suspension.”
Unfortunately for both Deni and Austin, betting on any sports is explicitly against the rules for coaches. The rule reads: “All NFL Personnel other than Players are further prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating bets on any other professional (e.g., NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, USTA, MLS), college (e.g., NCAA basketball), international (e.g., World Baseball Classic, World Cup), or Olympic sports competition, tournament or event.”
Austin, who played in the league for a decade and was selected to two Pro Bowls, can apply for reinstatement after his suspension ends.
Calvin Ridley’s suspension almost over
Miles Austin is not the first member of an NFL team to be suspended for sports betting this year. In March, about a month after the Super Bowl, Atlanta Falcons star receiver Calvin Ridley was banned through at least the 2022-2023 season. The two main differences in his case: he is a player, not a coach, and he bet on NFL games, including ones in which his Falcons played.
In its announcement of the suspension, the NFL said that Ridley bet on games during a five-day period while he was away from the Falcons in November 2021 to deal with mental health issues.
Adam Schefter acquired more information, finding out that Ridley made three-, five-, and eight-game parlay bets, each of which included a leg that required the Falcons to win. He placed the wagers on a mobile app in Florida; the Falcons did win the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ridley tweeted that he does not have a gambling problem and that he only wagered $1,500 in total, which is a tiny fraction of his annual salary.