16th May, 2023
By Michael Adesina
After an investigation by the NFL, the league suspended five players for gambling on NFL games during the 2022 season. Three players – Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore of the Detroit Lions and Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders, were suspended indefinitely. For the same reason, two other players – Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions are suspended for the team’s first six regular season games of the 2023 season.
The reason the suspensions are different is that it’s separate incidents. In the case of Berryhill and Williams, they were not betting on NFL games, instead, they were placing bets from an NFL facility. While in breach of the gambling policy, it’s not as severe.
NFL was short on details regarding the indefinite suspensions for Cephus, Moore, and Tooney. They only shared information about the investigation, mentioning that “a league review uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way.” Reassuring news about a league that is often surrounded by conspiracy theories about being rigged or scripted.
This is not the first time players are suspended for breaking the gambling policy. Since 2018, legal US online sports betting has become easily accessible across many states. In 2019, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw was suspended for gambling on an NFL game. In 2022, NFL receiver Calvin Ridley of the Atlanta Falcons was suspended. Shaw has since played in the league, and Ridley applied for reinstatement on February 15, 2023. He was officially reinstated on March 6, playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the case of the three players on indefinite suspension, they won’t be able to play during the 2023/24 NFL season. After that, they can apply for reinstatement, the way Calvin Ridley did this year.
While there’s no sign of a trend emerging, the league has to do a better job with education and messaging to the players. The NFL’s gambling policy states that it’s forbidden for anyone associated with the league to partake in any kind of betting activity within any club, league facility or venue, including the practice facilities. So far, all NFL players that violated the gambling policy have been reinstated.