NFL: 3 players suspended indefinitely for betting on games

The NFL has suspended three players indefinitely and another for six games for violating the league’s gambling policy. 

The players hit with indefinite suspensions were Indianapolis Colts defensive back Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and defensive end Rashod Berry and free agent defensive tackle Demetrius Taylor, who most recently played for the Detroit Lions in 2022. They were accused of betting on league games last season.

The Colts subsequently waived Rodgers — who was projected to be one of the team’s starting cornerbacks in the upcoming season — and Berry. 

“We have made the following roster moves as a consequence of the determination that these players violated the league’s gambling policy,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said in a statement obtained by The Hill. “The integrity of the game is of the utmost importance. As an organization we will continue to educate our players, coaches, and staff on the policies in place and the significant consequences that may occur with violations.”

​​Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere was also suspended by the league for six games for betting on non-NFL sports at the team’s facility. Petit-Frere, a second-year standout from Ohio State University, will still be eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason activities, including preseason games. 

In a statement to ESPN, Petit-Frere reaffirmed that the betting he participated in was not NFL-related and was legal under Tennessee state law, saying it was only sanctioned because it took place at the team’s facility.

“I want to apologize to my family, coaches, teammates and the Titans fans,” Petit-Frere, who started 16 games at right tackle for the Titans last season, added. “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.”

Thursday’s suspensions are the latest from a league aiming to crack down on betting from players. In April, five players — four from the Detroit Lions and one from the Washington Commanders — were suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy; Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus, safety C.J. Moore and Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney were suspended indefinitely by the league for betting on NFL games. 

Lions wide receivers Jameson Williams — a 2022 first-round pick — and Stanley Berryhill received six-game suspensions from the league for betting on non-NFL games from a team facility. Cephus, Moore and Berryhill were later released by the Lions. 

Last year, the NFL suspended then-Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for a full season for betting on league games. Ridley, a former standout at the University of Alabama, was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. 

Ridley was then the fifth league player to sit out a full season due to gambling, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Paul Hornung and Alex Karras and former Colts quarterback Art Schlichter. 

The recent punishments have resulted in the league reinforcing its gambling policy to players. All rookies will now be required to attend mandatory education sessions on the matter, and league officials will conduct in-person visits to team facilities to emphasize and clarify what activities are prohibited under the guidelines, according to ESPN. 

The NFL’s gambling policy prohibits players, including league personnel, from engaging in any form of gambling in any club or league facility or venue, including the practice facility. 

Rodgers, Berry and Taylor cannot seek reinstatement until after the 2023 season, the league noted.