Denver Broncos' Eyioma Uwazurike suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games
Another NFL player has been suspended indefinitely for betting on games.
Denver Broncos second-year defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike will miss all of the upcoming season and can apply for reinstatement on July 24, 2024 at the earliest after a league investigation found he bet on NFL games during his rookie season.
Wagering on NFL games as a player in the league triggers an automatic, indefinite suspension of at least one year under the league's guidelines. Players are allowed to gamble on other sports, so long as they do so away from team facilities or anywhere the team is affiliated (team planes, hotels, visiting stadiums, etc.).
In a statement, the team said they learned of the news Monday and will continue to provide members of the organization with the tools and education to comply with the league's gambling policy.
"Our organization fully cooperated with this investigation and takes matters pertaining to the integrity of game very seriously," the team said in the statement.
A fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Iowa State, Uwazurike, 25, recorded 15 tackles (nine solo) last season.
Uwazurike is the seventh player the league has suspended indefinitely this offseason for betting on games in 2022. Additionally, three players have been suspended for part of the 2023 season for placing bets while on team property. The NFL Players' Association, as well as the league office, have said they will improve education methods to communicate the severity of gambling transgressions.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley earned reinstatement earlier this year following his indefinite suspension for betting on games while with the Atlanta Falcons, although Ridley was away from the team at that point in the 2021 season.
Which NFL players have been suspended for gambling?
Other players who have been suspended indefinitely in 2023 for betting on the NFL last year:
- Wide receiver Quintez Cephus
- Safety C.J. Moore
- Linebacker Shaka Toney
- Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers
- Defensive end Rashod Berry
- Defensive tackle Demetrius Taylor
The following players have been suspended six games for betting on other sports from team facilities:
- Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere
- Lions WR Jameson Williams
- Free agent WR Stanley Berryhill
What is NFL's gambling policy?
Throughout the offseason, the NFL has re-emphasized the "key rules" of the league's gambling policy:
- Don't bet on the NFL
- Don't gamble at your team facility, while traveling for a road game or staying at a team hotel
- Don't have someone bet for you
- Don't share team "inside information"
- Don't enter a sportsbook during the NFL playing season
- Don't play daily fantasy football
Contributing: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
