Fantasy Life Taps NFL Tennessee Titans’ Player Tied to Gambling Controversy

Fantasy Life, a daily fantasy sports insight aggregator, has tapped Nicholas Petit-Frere, an active National Football League (NFL) player for the Tennessee Titans as the company’s new Fantasy Football specialist.

NFL Player Signs as DFS Expert for Fantasy Sports Company

The appointment is somewhat strange and could serve as the basis of a new controversy for the offensive tackle’s career. Petit-Frere was suspended briefly from the NFL during the 2023 regular season because he placed unauthorized wagers.

The league has since gone the extra mile to ensure that its players and staff understand the importance of not engaging in gambling as outlined by the league’s gambling policies. One of the rules explicitly states that players may not engage in fantasy sports, among other things.

Fantasy Life is beyond thrilled to welcome Nicholas Petit-Frere as a Fantasy Expert!

Nicholas graduated from The Ohio State University in 3 1/2 years, is from Tampa, Florida, oh, and plays offensive tackle for the @Titans.

Please join us in welcoming @NicholasPetit! pic.twitter.com/GTcFckM12Y

— Fantasy Life (@MBFantasyLife) September 17, 2024

 This makes the appointment of Petit-Frere particularly astounding, although it is not yet clear if Fantasy Life and the player have run things by the NFL.

This appointment could be legitimate and there has been no outward sign to suggest that there could be an issue arising from the player accepting this position.

He already appeared during a livestream for the company to comment on football on Tuesday. However, the player has been having a rough start to the season, with the Tennessee Titans potentially concerned about his performance.

NFL Keen to Uphold Rules Not Wantonly Punish

As noted, Petit-Frere may not be breaking any league anti-gambling rules as long as he weighs in as an expert and is not actively participating in placing bets, although his new position could draw scrutiny from officials who would be keen to ensure that their players are not engaging in activities that could tarnish the NFL’s reputation.

The NFL has not wasted time this year, and ahead of the 2024/25 season, the league issued a formal statement in which it spoke critically of any violations of its established anti-gambling rules for players and members of the staff.

The league though has been showing signs of leniency as it attempts to conduct educational campaigns. Isaiah Rogers, another player who was suspended over his participation in gambling was reinstated In April.