NFL Suspends Five Players for Gambling Violations

The National Football League (NFL) has suspended five players, including four Detroit Lions, for violating the league’s gambling policy. 

Detroit Lions Players Suspended for Gambling on NFL Games

The NFL prohibits any form of gambling within the NFL premises, and the players found guilty have been suspended for six games or indefinitely.

The four Detroit Lions players suspended were receivers Jameson Williams, Quintez Cephus, and Stanley Berryhill, as well as safety C.J. Moore. The fifth player suspended was Washington Commanders’ defensive end Shaka Toney.

Cephus and Moore received indefinite suspensions as they placed bets on NFL games. Similarly, Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney was suspended for the same reason. 

At the same time, Williams and Berryhill were suspended for six games each due to their involvement in mobile betting at the Lions’ Allen Park facility. However, it is worth noting that neither player bet on NFL games.

Williams and Berryhill will be able to participate in offseason and preseason activities leading up to their suspensions, which will begin on the final roster cutdown date.

The Lions’ general manager, Brad Holmes, announced that the team had released Cephus and Moore following their suspensions. Holmes stated that the players’ decision-making was not consistent with the organization’s values and violated league rules. 

The NFL clarified that no evidence indicated the use of insider information or compromise of any game. The league’s statement further explained that the rules are in place to protect the integrity of the game, and any violation will result in appropriate action.

First-Round Pick Jameson Williams Suspended, Lions’ Offense to Rely on Jones Jr.

The Lions picked Williams, a former Alabama receiver, in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, hoping he would be fully ready for the 2023 season. Williams’ suspension is a significant blow to the team, and veteran Marvin Jones Jr. is expected to have a more prominent role in the offense to open the season alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds.

The suspensions are the first gambling-related bans for players since the NFL banned receiver Calvin Ridley for the 2022 campaign. The Jacksonville Jaguars receiver was reinstated by the league this off-season.

The players have accepted their suspensions and expressed regret for their actions. Jameson Williams’ representation, Alliance Sports, issued a statement apologizing for the violation and explaining that the violation was not for betting on football but for a technical rule regarding the actual location in which the online bet was placed. The other players have not made any public statements about their suspensions.