NFL players and gambling; what’s going on?

Just a year ago in 2022, Jameson Williams had the world at his feet as a star wide receiver coming out of college. He may have still been recovering from an ACL injury sustained during his later days with Alabama, but having been selected 12th overall by the Detroit Lions, the world seemed to be at his feet.

But after having just made one reception in his rookie year, Williams was found to have violated the NFL’s rules on gambling earlier this year and his future has now been cast into substantial doubt.

Williams and fellow Lions wideout Stanley Berryhill were both suspended for six games for their violations, while Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus, Lions safety C.J. Moore and Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney were all suspended indefinitely. All of those players bar Williams have since been released from their teams.

In May, ESPN reported that the league is investigating a second wave of potential violations, and now one of the players involved in this second wave has been confirmed as Isaiah Rodgers of the Indianapolis Colts.

There is plenty of speculation on who that player might be, but it backs the questions; is there a problem in the NFL, and is the league doing enough to tackle the issue?

Calvin Ridley was the NFL’s warning

While Williams has suggested his innocence, we’ve been here before when then-Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for a full season for a similar reason.

In that case, Ridley was reported to have bet $1,500 in late 2021 on a series of parlays that included other sports, including Falcons games. He had stepped away from football at that point, so he did not play in those games, but the restrictions still applied.

As harsh as the punishment may have been considering other suspensions, the league did make its outlook quite clear in 2022. Placing a bet on NFL games as players is a huge risk to take, particularly if the party is found guilty and suspended for a large amount of time.

But as more leagues and sports owners across the US embrace gambling, particularly after years of shunning it, and helping to make it as accessible as anything, coined with the fact it has been legalised across the country, the sporting community’s relationship to betting has grown more complicated, bringing incredible challenges.

Why is gambling becoming such a problem?

Recently, Williams even told reporters that until he was suspended by the NFL he had no idea he was in violation of the league’s gambling policy, to which the second-year pro’s self-professed naivety was met with some question marks and disbelief.

The NFL has insisted that its gambling policy has been communicated properly and clearly to its players. But it does feel that the league really hasn’t gone fair enough, even now.

In fact, an anonymous seven-year veteran told The Athletic as part of a survey into NFL betting, that he had ‘no idea’ about the rule outlawing players from placing bets on team property, even on different sports.

In the piece, some of the players who spoke to The Athletic noted since April’s suspensions that coaching staffs have more actively discussed the league’s gambling policy during offseason programs. But with more violations, or suspected violations, coming to light, in seems like there is a long way to go.

If someone who has been in the league seven years doesn’t know the rules, then how can we expect a player just coming off his rookie year to be above the rest? More needs to be done, and fast.