NFL betting suspensions have officially become an issue. The league has now issued bans of varying lengths to 10 players since the start of the 2021 campaign, with several high-profile names on the list. As the NFL continues to crack down on gambling, teams have made a concerted effort to educate their players on the potential penalties they’ll face if caught.
Gambling suspensions in the NFL are nothing new. The league suspended future Hall of Famers Alex Karras and Paul Hornung for the entire 1963 season for betting on NFL games. Baltimore Colts quarterback Art Schlichter was banned for the 1983 campaign after he reportedly lost nearly $400,000 in a two-month span. And Arizona Cardinals defensive back Josh Shaw was suspended in 2019 after he placed bets in a Las Vegas casino.
But gambling on the NFL — or any sport — has never been easier than in 2023. Will NFL players adhere to the league’s betting rules, or will more suspensions be handed out? Here is every player who has been issued a gambling-related suspension over the past two years.
Indefinite NFL Sports Betting Suspensions
The following players were handed suspensions because they placed bets on NFL games. These bans are indefinite but must last for at least one season.
WR Calvin Ridley
The NFL suspended Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for the 2022 season after he was found to have bet on NFL games. Months earlier, Ridley had stepped away from football to focus on his mental health.
Ridley had apparently gambled on NFL action during that time. In a subsequent tweet, Ridley indicated he had bet $1,500 and said he didn’t “have a gambling problem.”
Before Ridley’s suspension was announced, rival teams reportedly contacted the Falcons about acquiring the pass catcher via trade. However, Atlanta was aware of his pending suspension and declined any trade offers.
The Falcons eventually moved Ridley just before the 2022 NFL trade deadline, sending him to the Jaguars for a conditional 2023 sixth-round pick and a 2024 fourth-rounder. Ridley was reinstated by the NFL in March 2023, which upgraded the 2023 sixth-round choice involved in the deal to a fifth.
CB Isaiah Rodgers
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was suspended in June 2023 after the NFL determined he placed roughly 100 bets on NFL games, per ESPN. Rodgers was reportedly using a sportsbook account created in the name of someone close to him.
While most of his wagers were in the $25-50 range, Rodgers placed at least one four-digit bet. He won a $1,000 prop bet related to a Colts running back’s over/under rushing total, according to ESPN’s report.
The Colts waived Rodgers minutes after his ban was announced. A former undrafted free agent, Rodgers was scheduled to earn $2.743 million in 2023.
Rodgers, 25, made nine starts last season and operated as Indy’s primary kick returner. He was on track to become a full-time starter after the Colts traded Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys and allowed Brandon Facyson to walk in free agency.
Rodgers will be eligible to apply for NFL reinstatement in 2024.
LB Rashod Berry
Rodgers wasn’t the only Colts player implicated in 2023. Linebacker Rashod Berry also earned an indefinite suspension of at least one year for betting on NFL games. Like Rodgers, Berry was waived soon after his ban was announced.
Berry entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2020 after playing college football at Ohio State. He appeared in three games for the Patriots in 2020 and five games for the Lions in 2021 but did not play in a game last season while spending the year on the Jaguars’ practice squad. The Colts signed Berry off Jacksonville’s taxi squad in January.
S CJ Moore
Like the Colts, the Lions also saw multiple players suspended for gambling on NFL games. Safety CJ Moore received an indefinite ban and was subsequently released by Detroit.
The 27-year-old had been with the Lions since 2019. While he rarely played defense, Moore had contributed at least 200 special teams snaps in each of the past four seasons. He re-signed with Detroit this offseason on a two-year deal with $3 million guaranteed, all of which he will now forfeit.
WR Quintez Cephus
The Lions also released Quintez Cephus after his indefinite gambling suspension was announced.
The former fifth-round pick played 365 snaps and posted 20 receptions during his rookie season in 2020, but injuries prematurely ended his 2021 and 2022 campaigns.
DT Demetrius Taylor
Although Demetrius Taylor wasn’t initially announced as part of the Lions contingent that received gambling suspensions, reporting had indicated that a fifth Detroit player was under investigation for betting.
Detroit waived Taylor in May 2023, but his ban wasn’t announced until late June. He had appeared in one game for the Lions in 2022.
DE Shaka Toney
While the Lions and Colts cut ties with their players who had bet on NFL games, Shaka Toney remains on the Commanders’ roster even after his indefinite suspension was handed down.
A 2021 seventh-round pick, Toney has contributed chiefly on special teams in Washington. His contract will toll, meaning the Commanders will still have two years of control if Toney is reinstated for the 2024 season.
Four-Game Sports Betting Suspensions
The following players were issued six-game suspensions by the league. While these players didn’t gamble on NFL games, they placed bets at a team facility, which league rules prohibit.
WR Jameson Williams
Update: Following a change in the punishments in the NFL Gambling Policy, Williams will be reinstated for Week 5 of the 2023 season.
The Lions may have a widespread issue with gambling. Jameson Williams was one of five Detroit players suspended for betting on sports, but he’s the only one who remains on the club’s roster.
Williams, whom the Lions traded up to acquire in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, said he wasn’t aware he was breaking league rules by placing non-NFL bets at Detroit’s facility. But he will be forced to miss a third of his second pro campaign nonetheless.
Williams was sidelined for most of his first NFL season while recovering from the torn ACL he suffered during his final year at Alabama. He ultimately appeared in six games but was targeted only nine times and managed just one reception.
WR Stanley Berryhill
Stanley Berryhill was issued a six-game suspension, but the Lions didn’t find enough of a reason to keep him on their roster. Detroit waived him soon after his ban was announced.
A former undrafted free agent, Berryhill spent time with the Falcons and Cardinals before landing on the Lions’ practice squad in October 2022. He spent four games on the active roster, playing six snaps on offense and 34 on special teams.
OT Nicholas Petit-Frere
Update: Following a change in the punishments in the NFL Gambling Policy, Petit-Frere will be reinstated for Week 5 of the 2023 season.
Although Nicholas Petit-Frere emerged as the Titans’ starting right tackle during his rookie season in 2022, he’ll have to wait to earn his job back. Petit-Frere was suspended for six games for placing bets at Tennessee’s facility.
The Titans used the 69th overall pick to nab Petit-Frere out of Ohio State in 2022, and he eventually made 16 starts during his first pro campaign. While he was poised to assume RT duties again next season, Petit-Frere’s suspension will force Tennessee to reshuffle its offensive plans, potentially by moving 2023 first-rounder Peter Skoronski from left guard to right tackle.