A total of five NFL players were suspended for gambling violations this offseason, with the Detroit Lions being hit the hardest. Wide receivers Jameson Williams, Stanley Berryhill III, Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore were handed suspensions of different lengths for gambling, forcing the Lions to address the situation.
Per MLive.com, the Lions are re-educating their players about the NFL's gambling policy.
"It's much more an emphasis from us, as opposed to just leaving it to the league," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. "Like, we need to make sure that we really hit this ourselves and make a point of it. We did, but obviously not enough. The proof's in the pudding. So for us, let's take it out of their hands. They will have what they do every year, but now we need to put our own emphasis on it. And I think that is the best way to do it, is to highlight it. And that is what we are trying to do."
The Lions aren't out of the woods yet either. Per ESPN, the NFL is investigating a second wave of potential violations related to gambling. According to The Athletic, at least one of the players being investigated in this second wave was a member of the 2022 Lions.
Gambling is legal for NFL players, but they cannot place wagers from team facilities or while traveling with the team -- and of course they can't bet on the NFL. Williams and Berryhill were handed six-game suspensions for placing wagers at inappropriate locations, while Cephus and Moore were given indefinite suspensions for gambling on NFL games. Both players can apply for reinstatement after one year, like Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Calvin Ridley did this offseason. Berryhill, Cephus and Moore were all released by the Lions.
