Denver Broncos Defensive Lineman Suspended for Season for Betting on NFL Games

Article ByKyle Garlett

July 25, 2023

Spread the Word:

Posted in: US Sports Betting News, US Fantasy Sports News, US Gambling News

Another player has been caught by the NFL betting on league games, and has been suspended indefinitely. This time, it is Denver Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, a fourth round pick out of Iowa State in 2022. His suspension is for a minimum of 12 months, meaning that July 24, 2024, is the first day that he can apply for reinstatement.

“We were informed by the NFL today that Eyioma Uwazurike has been suspended by the league indefinitely for violating its gambling policy,” said the Broncos in a released statement. “Our organization fully cooperated with this investigation and takes matters pertaining to the integrity of the game very seriously.”

The NFL’s investigation found that Uwazurike did bet on league games during the 2022 season, giving him the indefinite suspension. He was expected to compete this season for a spot in the starting rotation along the defensive line. That’s after playing in seven games as a rookie and logging eight tackles in Denver’s final four games of the season.

NFL Taking Enforcement Seriously

Since wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the season in 2022 — then of the Falcons, and now with the Jaguars — the league has suspended 10 more players for violating their gambling policy.

Getting hit with shorter suspensions for betting on sports at team facilities, but not betting on the NFL, are Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, former Lions wide receiver Stanley Berryhill, and Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere.

The NFL did not find that any of the three bet on NFL games, and instead simply engaged in legal betting while at a team or league facility. This is the controversial part of the policy, and one that the NFLPA would like to see updated.

The part of the policy that all sides agree with is the suspending of players that do bet on NFL games. So far in 2023, seven players have been found to have placed bets on NFL games while on an NFL team, resulting in an indefinite suspension of at least one year. Those players are C.J. Moore, Quintez Cephus, and Demetrius Taylor of the Lions, Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders, Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Indianapolis Colts, and now Uwazurike of the Broncos.

Moore, Cephus, and Taylor were released by the Lions, Rodgers and Berry were released by the Colts, and Toney remains with the Commanders while he serves his suspension. The Broncos have made no decisions about the roster status of Uwazurike, and likely won’t until they have to decide on final rosters before the regular season kicks off in September.

Understanding the NFL’s Gambling Policy

The NFL’s rules regarding sports betting have become more confused in the years since the NFL went from shunning all things sports betting to having official partnerships with Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. But when it comes to players betting on the NFL, the league wants to eliminate all ambiguity. If you do it, and if you are caught, you will face their harshest available penalty.

The other rules regarding betting are less clear. The NFL allows players to bet on other sports, but not while at a team or league facility. The rest of the employees of the NFL are not allowed to bet on any sport, and they aren’t allowed to visit a sportsbook during the NFL season. Players, however, can visit sportsbooks during the season, as long as they don’t place NFL bets.

The no-betting on other sports portion of the policy for players also extends to league-related trips. A player can place an NBA bet at home. But once they board a team charter for a weekend road trip, they must refrain from betting until they are back home, and away from a team or league facility.

Educating the players on this part of the gambling policy has become the focus of all 32 NFL teams.