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The gambling boom is on acro s the sports industry. The once-frowned-upon practice has moved from a back-alley pursuit to the forefront of most of the major sports leagues, as key decision-makers have become enamored with its potential as a major revenue stream. Naturally, with sponsorship dollars now flowing into these leagues from sportsbook partners, that has created a greater need for regulation acro s this new vertical. After all, the last thing that the leagues and their gambling partners want is for those participating in the games to rig them. That is part of the reason that there was a major crackdown on players betting acro s the NFL during the offseason. Before this year, the NFL had suspended just five players in its history for violating the league’s gambling policy. During the 2023 offseason alone, the league has added 10 names to that list. Of course, not every player suspended was found to have bet on NFL games; some simply violated the part of the league’s gambling policy that disallows Keegan Akin Jersey players and other team personnel from betting on any event while in an NFL facility. But others? They did bet on some actual games acro s the league. MORE: Here’s what to know about the NFL’s gambling suspensions for 2023 and which teams have been impacted most by the bans. (Getty Images) Jameson Williams Team: Lions Position: Wide receiver Suspension length: 6 games Williams was among the NFL’s highest-profile gambling suspensions but didn’t get a full-year ban. Instead, the 2022 first-round pick will mi s six games after he bet on college football games while at the Lions’ practice facility. The league’s gambling policy allows players to bet on non-NFL competitions, but bets cannot be placed within an NFL facility. Williams played sparingly during his rookie season as he recovered from a torn ACL he suffered while playing at Alabama. As a result, he only caught one pa s for 41 yards and a touchdown in 2022. Still, the Lions had big plans for him to step up acro s from Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2023, so his absence will be impactful considering the team’s lack of depth at receiver. MORE: Stanley Berryhill Team: Free agent Position: Wide receiver Suspension length: 6 games One of the reasons the Lions don’t have great depth at receiver? Williams wasn’t the only one of their pa s-catchers suspended for violating the league’ Earl Weaver Jersey s gambling policy. Like Williams, Berryhill bet on college games inside Detroit’s practice facility; that led the NFL to suspend him for six games, and Berryhill was subsequently released by the Lions. Berryhill has never played in an NFL game, but the 2022 undrafted free agent was with the Lions’ practice squad last season. He could have provided the team with some experienced depth but instead will be searching for his next opportunity to prove himself. Quintez Cephus Team: Free agent Position: Wide receiver Suspension length: Indefinite (at least one year) Cephus was also among the Lions receivers suspended as a part of the NFL’s probe into the team. The 6-1, 208-pound receiver was granted a more severe punishment than Williams and Berryhill, as the investigation deemed that he had actually bet on NFL games. That was enough for the league to suspend him indefinitely and for a period of at least one year. The Lions released Cephus after this news broke. The Wisconsin product logged 37 catches, 568 yards and four touchdowns over three seasons (22 games) in Detroit. That said, he played in just four games in 2022 and caught two pa ses, so he may have already been on the way out before his suspension. C.J. Moore Team: Free agent Position: Safety Suspension length: Indefinite (at least one year) Moore was Detroit’s only non-receiver to be suspended as part of the Williams probe. Moore, a safety, received a year-long ban for betting on NFL games. The Lions parted ways with him shortly after that announcement, much like they did with Berryhill and Cephus. Moore, 27, had been a key reserve safety and special teams player for the Lions in his four seasons with the team. His best season came in 2021, when he logged 22 tackles and an interception in 17 games (one start). Shaka Toney Team: Commanders Position: Edge rusher Suspension length: Indefinite (at least one year) Five players in total were suspended when Williams’ six-game ban was announced. The only non-Lion among them was Toney. The league found that the Commanders Cal Ripken Jersey edge rusher bet on NFL games, so he was suspended for a full season. Washington decided to keep Toney on its roster, so he won’t have to look for work if he returns to the NFL. To date, the 2021 seventh-round pick has racked up 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks in limited action over 26 games. (Getty Images) Isaiah Rodgers Sr. Team: Eagles Position: Cornerback Suspension length: Indefinite (at least one year) Rodgers was the headliner of the NFL’s second major gambling investigation. The Colts’ top cornerback reportedly placed “hundreds” of bets on NFL games, including those played by Indianapolis. It isn’t clear which side he backed in those Colts bets, but the NFL slapped him with a major punishment because of them. Rodgers, 25, was released by the Colts because of actions. This came despite him racking up 90 tackles, three interceptions and 10 pa s defenses in three years with the team and being its best young cornerback. Rodgers landed with the Eagles on eve of the 2023 NFL season, but his NFL future remains murky at best. MORE: Rashod Berry Team: Free agent Position: Outside linebacker Suspension length Renato Nunez Jersey : Indefinite (at least one year) In addition to Rodgers, Berry was suspended for a full season as part of the investigation into the Colts. The veteran linebacker was granted a year-long ban as well ane was promptly waived by Indianapolis. Unlike Rodgers, Berry didn’t land on his feet. He remains unsigned, and it appears that his four career tackles in eight games with the Patriots and Lions may be his final NFL stat-line. Demetrius Taylor Team: Free agent Position: Defensive tackle Suspension length: Indefinite (at least one year) Taylor wasn’t with a team at the time of his suspension. However, he spent the 2022 season with the Lions after making their 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent. That makes Taylor one of five players suspended who are tied to Detroit. Nicholas Petit-Frere Team: Titans Position: Offensive tackle Suspension length: 6 games Petit-Frere started 16 games for the Titans during his rookie season, and he is expected to reprise that role at right tackle in 2023. However, Tenne see won’t have him for the first six games of the season, as he bet on non-NFL Eddie Murray Jersey games while in a team facility. During the 2022 season, Petit-Frere allowed five sacks and committed eight penalties. He was graded by Pro Football Focus as the NFL’s 74th-best tackle out of 81 qualifiers. While the 23-year-old has immense upside, the Titans may be OK without him as the experienced Daniel Brunskill prepares to replace him. Eyioma Uwazurike Team: Broncos Position: Defensive lineman Suspension length: Indefinite (at least one year) Uwazurike used to be best known for being selected with the fourth-round pick that Denver got as a part of the Ru sell Wilson trade. Now, he is known for being one of the relatively few players on the NFL’s all-time gambling suspension list. Ironically, Uwazurike played his college ball at Iowa State, a program that is in the midst of its own gambling scandal. The 2022 fourth-round pick recorded 17 tackles and a pa s defense in eight games during his rookie season.
