The National Football League (NFL) on Friday declared indefinite suspensions of three players and six-game suspensions for two others for violations of the league’s policy on gambling and sports betting. Wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore of the Detroit Lions, along with defensive end Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders, were banned through at least the conclusion of the 2023 season for betting on NFL games in the 2022 season.
The NFL also announced suspensions for wide receivers Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams of the Lions, who were both slapped with six-game bans for betting on sports but not NFL games. Berryhill and Williams will not be allowed to participate in any games during the first six weeks of the 2023-24 NFL season, but they may take part in all off-season and preseason activities, including preseason games.
The league’s review did not uncover any evidence that any of the five players used inside information or that any game was compromised. The suspensions are in keeping with the full-year suspension that wide receiver Calvin Ridley received last year after admitting to betting on NFL games, although he was reinstated last month.
Details concerning the gambling policy infractions committed by Cephus, Moore, and Toney were not immediately released, but the Lions and Commanders released statements affirming their cooperation with the investigation, and that they supported the league’s actions.
Williams, the Lions’ twelfth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is the most prominent of the five players sanctioned for betting. He had only one reception last season, though it was for a 41-yard touchdown, and he was expected to play a larger role this year. His representatives released a statement acknowledging his fault and apologizing to the NFL, his teammates, and the fans and city of Detroit. The statement clarified that the violation was for the location in which an online bet was placed, rather than for betting on football.
