NEWS UPDATE: The NFL has suspended five players, including Detroit’s lion back, for …
Two players, including the 12th overall draft pick from the previous season, were given six-game penalties for betting on non-NFL games at a league facility, while three NFL players were suspended indefinitely on Friday for placing bets on NFL games in the 2022 season.
Quintez Cephus, a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, C.J. Moore, a safety by the Lions, and Shaka Toney, a defensive end for the Washington Commanders, are all out for the 2023 season and may request reinstatement later.
Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams, two Lions wide receivers, have been suspended for six games apiece. Despite this, they are permitted to play in preseason and offseason games. Beginning with the final roster cutdown, they will be suspended.
The NFL said that a “league review uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way.”
For the NFL, gambling-related incidents have not happened very often. Calvin Ridley, a wide receiver, was most recently suspended for the whole 2022 season for winning NFL games by gambling. He was eventually traded from Atlanta to Jacksonville and has his suspension lifted. Josh Shaw, a cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals, was suspended in November 2019 for betting on an NFL game; he has not participated in the league since.
Senior analyst for Sports Handle Chris Altruda stated, “I don’t think it’s a trend yet.” “I do believe that the league needs to improve its messaging, and I believe that the teams need to improve their delivery of that message as well.”
Cephus, who caught 37 passes in three seasons, and Moore, who started just one game in four years, were cut by the Lions right away.
The two “exhibited decision-making that is not consistent with our organisational values and violates league rules,” according to Brad Holmes, general manager and executive vice president of Detroit.
After recovering from knee surgery, Williams was selected with the 12th overall choice in the previous year’s draft, although he only appeared in six games. Williams’ agent, Alliance Sports, released a statement stating that the athlete is “apologetic to the NFL, his teammates, the fans and city of Detroit.” Williams was suspended for a “technical rule regarding the actual location in which the online bet was placed — and which would otherwise be allowed by the NFL outside of that area,” the report added.
After recovering from knee surgery, Williams was selected with the 12th overall choice in the previous year’s draft, although he only appeared in six games. Williams’ agent, Alliance Sports, released a statement stating that the athlete is “apologetic to the NFL, his teammates, the fans and city of Detroit.” A “technical rule regarding the actual location in which the online bet was placed — and which would otherwise be allowed by the NFL outside of the club’s facility” was the reason Williams was suspended, the report added.
In his lone season, Berryhill appeared in four games without recording a catch. In order “to ensure they understand the severity of these violations and have clarity on the league rules moving forward,” Holmes stated that the Lions will collaborate with Berryhill and Williams.
With the Commanders, who have “cooperated fully with the NFL’s investigation since receiving notice and support the league’s findings and actions,” Toney has started just one game in his two seasons with the team.
A few professional clubs, like the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, and the MLB’s Washington Nationals, operate sportsbooks within their stadiums due to the growth of sports betting in the United States. Some teams, like the Arizona Cardinals, operate a sportsbook on the stadium property, and many spectators place smartphone bets while watching games. Ads for sports betting are also shown during NFL game breaks.
