[ad_1]
The NFL announced Thursday that Indianapolis Colts defensive back Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and three other players have been suspended for violating the league’s sports betting policy.
Rodgers and Colts teammate Rashod Berry are suspended through at least the conclusion of the 2023 season for betting on NFL games in the 2022 season. Demetrius Taylor, a former defensive tackle with the Detroit Lions, also received a full-year suspension for wagering on NFL contests last season.
In addition, the NFL suspended Titans offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere for six games betting on non-NFL sports at the club facility. He is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason activities, including preseason games, the league said.
In a statement to ESPN, Petit-Frere said, “The betting I engaged in was NOT NFL related and was legal under Tennessee law. It is only being sanctioned because it occurred at the Titans facility.” The Titans posted a statement on the team’s website, saying, “We have been made aware of Nick’s suspension by the league. We believe in Nick and know that he has deep respect for the integrity of the game and our organization. We will continue to emphasize to our players the importance of understanding and adhering to league rules and policies.”
When reached by Sports Handle on Thursday, an NFL spokesman declined to comment on the specifics of any of the four cases.
Revamped training procedures
In early-June, Sports Handle broke a story detailing rampant betting activity involving a Colts player. According to a source with first-hand knowledge of the activity, the player made hundreds of wagers on sports, including some on the Colts to win. ESPN later reported that Rodgers was the player in question, a report Rodgers seemingly confirmed in a post on his Instagram account.
The NFL did not address in Thursday’s statement whether the league determined through its investigation that Rodgers wagered on his team to win. Berry, an outside linebacker from Ohio State University, was signed by the Colts off the Jaguars practice squad in January.
Sign Up For The Sports Handle Newsletter!
Under NFL league rules, a player cannot wager on any sport from inside a league or club facility or on a team bus or team plane or in a team hotel. Moreover, players cannot bet on NFL events from any location. The prohibition covers wagers on the NFL Draft, player props, and on the competitions offered during the Pro Bowl.
In the wake of the recent investigations and suspensions, the NFL has implemented new training measures for league employees in an effort to educate players on the consequences of violating the sports betting policy. Ironically, Colts coach Shane Steichen confirmed that, the same week the Rodgers news broke, NFL personnel made an appearance at his team’s facility as part of the league’s offseason training program to explain the intricacies of the gambling policy to players.
As of last week, the NFL has hosted seminars on the league’s gambling policy with 14 teams this offseason, with plans to meet with six additional clubs in the coming weeks, according to Sabrina Perel, the NFL’s chief compliance officer.
All 32 NFL teams are scheduled to begin training camp in July. The preseason opens on Aug. 3 when the Cleveland Browns take on the New York Jets in the 2023 Hall of Fame Game.
[ad_2]
Source link