NEWSLETTER
On Monday, Sports Handle’s Matt Rybaltowski reported that the NFL and the Indiana Gaming Commission were investigating an Indianapolis Colts player for “pervasive” wagering, including bets involving the Colts. That player has been identified as Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
According to an ESPN report, Rodgers made approximately 100 bets on an account opened under the name of an associate of Rodgers. Some of those bets involved Colts games. Most of the bets were in the $25-$50 range.
Rodgers apologized for his “mistakes” in a tweet on Monday evening. However, he didn’t dive into specifics or acknowledge guilt for any particular action.
“Addressing the current reports, I want to take full responsibility for my actions,” Rodgers tweeted. “I know I have made mistakes, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to repair the situation. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to be a distraction to the Colts organization, my coaches and my teammates. I’ve let people down that I care about. I made an error in judgment, and I am going to work hard to make sure that those mistakes are rectified through this process. It’s an honor to play in the NFL, and I have never taken that lightly. I am very sorry for all of us.”
In April, the NFL suspended five players —including four from the Detroit Lions — for gambling policy violations. Lions receiver Quintez Cephus, safety C.J. Moore, and Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney were suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games. Lions receivers Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill received six-game suspensions for betting on non-NFL games from an NFL facility.
We’re just months removed from Calvin Ridley being reinstated by the NFL after serving a season-long suspension for placing bets on NFL games. Ridley placed the bets while he was away from the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.
During Memorial Day weekend, The Athletic released a report stating that the league is currently conducting an investigation on a player from the Lions’ 2022 roster for a potential gambling violation.
The NFL and gambling have always gone hand in hand. Since the widespread legalization of sports betting, they’ve been public partners in lucrative financial deals. Still, the NFL explicitly prohibits active players from wagering on NFL games. Players are also prohibited from placing any bets from a team facility.
Ironically, The Athletic released a story on Monday morning in which they interviewed NFL players to find out where their knowledge of the NFL’s gambling policy stood. The answers ranged from no clue to blatantly wrong. That story confirmed my belief that the lack of player education on the league’s policy is the central issue in this growing problem.
“It’s like a page in your training camp compliance meetings. They spend like four minutes on it,” one veteran NFL player told The Athletic regarding the current state of player education on the policy.
You could argue that the onus is on the player to educate themselves on the policy. However, this wave of suspensions is not a good look for the league. So, it would behoove them to figure out how to educate the players. Doing so would remove any doubt and make future violations strictly on the violator.
Until the NFL educates the players better, they’ll share the culpability in these incidents. Fair or not, that’s just how it is, mainly from an optics standpoint.
However, regarding the allegations against Isaiah Rodgers, there is one thing that all of the NFL players interviewed by The Athletic agreed on: “Obviously, I knew you couldn’t bet on the NFL.”
It will be interesting to see how far the NFL takes the Rodgers investigation and discipline. Minimally, I expect the NFL to make an example of Rodgers. If he did in fact bet on NFL games — and his own team at that — Calvin Ridley’s suspension is going to look like a slap on the wrist.
According to the most recent version of the league’s policy that I could find, section seven of the policy states that the Commissioner has the ability to impose any discipline he chooses for these violations. The policy continues:
“Such disciplinary action may include, without limitation, severe penalties, up to and including a fine, termination of employment and/or banishment from the NFL for life.”
So, it’s entirely within the rights of the league to end Isaiah Rodgers’ NFL career depending on the findings of their investigation.
I don’t think that NFL will exercise that power this time. Unless the investigation finds evidence that Rodgers threw games that he bet on. Instead, I would imagine that Rodgers’ suspension will be termed indefinite initially. It could last anywhere from one to two seasons in length. But that’s just based on what we know, the league’s policy, and what we’ve seen recently.
With Rodgers’ public statement, it appears he’s cooperating in the league’s investigation. This won’t be something that the NFL will let drag on. I would imagine that they would like this resolved before training camps approach. So, expect something in the way of closure relatively soon.
