The NFL has imposed a series of suspensions on players who have violated the league’s legal sports betting policy.
America’s most popular professional sports league has suspended Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Indianapolis Colts and free agent Demetrius Taylor indefinitely through at least the end of the 2023 season.
The three players have received suspensions from the league for wagering on NFL games during the 2022 season. Rodgers, a cornerback drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, allegedly placed roughly 100 wagers from online betting sites registered in someone else’s name. Rodgers also allegedly placed wagers on Colts games that ranged between $25-$50 and reportedly placed a $1,000 prop bet on the Over/Under of rushing yards of an unnamed Colts player.
Rodgers, Berry, and Taylor can both apply for reinstatement at the end of the 2023 season.
Tennessee Titans OT Nicholas Petit-Frere has also been suspended by the league, adding to the timeline of athletes betting on sports. The Ohio State product has been suspended for the first six regular season games of the 2023 season for wagering on non-NFL sports at the team’s facility — a violation of the NFL’s policy.
"I want to apologize to my family, coaches, teammates and the Titans fans. I have always strived in every stage of my life to follow the rules. I did not knowingly break the rules. Even after attending a league presentation, I was unaware about the specifics around placing bets from a team facility,” said Petit-Frere in a statement to ESPN.
Making changes
Earlier this month, the NFL made changes to its sports betting guidelines amid a recent influx of violations by players and coaches. Some of the changes to the league’s guidelines include providing gambling signage across all 32 team facilities, adding sports betting clauses to player contracts, and producing a wagering policy manual. The NFL has also hired seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady to help deliver an educational video regarding gambling guidelines.
