3 Atlantas key players gone on suspension till fur…
The Indianapolis Colts had projected starting cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and backup defensive end Rashod Berry on their roster, but the team dismissed Berry after he received an indefinite suspension.
The Indianapolis Colts had projected starting cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and backup defensive end Rashod Berry on their roster, but the team dismissed Berry after he received an indefinite suspension.
Reinstatement is not possible for Rodgers, Berry, or free agent Demetrius Taylor until after the 2023 campaign. Taylor was also given an indefinite suspension. Rodgers was accused of the same thing after Taylor placed a wager on NFL games in 2022.
The Colts didn’t take long to make a decision.
In a statement, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard said, “We have made the following roster moves as a consequence of the determination that these players violated the league’s gambling policy.” The game’s integrity must be upheld at all costs. As a team, we’ll keep teaching our coaches, players, and employees about the rules in place and the serious repercussions that can follow infractions.
Nicholas Petit-Frere, a right tackle for the Tennessee Titans, was suspended for the first six games of the 2023 season for placing bets on sports other than the NFL at the team’s stadium. All off-season and preseason events, including preseason games, are open to him.
Berry and Petit-Frere were Ohio State teammates in college.
The Titans released a statement saying, “We believe in Nick and know that he has deep respect for the integrity of the game and our organization.” “We will keep stressing to our players how important it is to comprehend and abide by league rules and policies.”
The NFL’s gambling policy prohibits, among other things, players, coaches, league and team officials, from wagering on NFL games, making bets at team hotels or facilities, or having someone else make a bet on their behalf.
As more states legalize gambling overall and sports bookies in particular, leagues like the NFL are facing an increasing number of gambling violations.
Five players were suspended by the NFL in April for gambling offenses, four of them were with the Detroit Lions.
Safety C.J. Moore, along with receivers Quintez Cephus and Stanley Berryhill, were released by the Lions. Berryhill and wide receiver Jameson Williams received six-game suspensions for betting on non-NFL games, while Cephus and Moore received permanent suspensions for their NFL wagering.
Williams, the 12th overall selection in the 2022 draft, is still a member of the Detroit team.
In April, defensive end Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders was also suspended indefinitely for wagering on NFL games. Similarly, in 2022, the NFL suspended Calvin Ridley, a receiver for the Atlanta Falcons at the time, for the entire season for wagering. After being allowed back in March, he currently plays for Jacksonville.
Rodgers’ departure is a major setback for the Colts secondary, which is still rebuilding. In a youthful position room, the UMass player in his fourth year was anticipated to provide an experienced perspective.
The Titans are affected by Petit-Frere even missing six games. At the same position, he was the only starter from the starting offensive line from the previous season.
Petit-Frere apologized to the Titans and his family in a message he gave to ESPN and posted on social media. Additionally, he stated that his betting was allowed by Tennessee law and had nothing to do with the NFL.
In his comments, Petit-Frere stated, “It is only being sanctioned because it occurred at the Titans facility.” “I have always made an effort to abide by the rules at every turn in my life. The details of betting from a team facility were unknown to me, even after attending a league presentation.
Last season, Tennessee selected the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Petit-Frere in the third round out of Ohio State. He was chosen ahead of Dillon Radunz to start at right tackle. As a rookie, Petit-Frere started every 16 games and assisted Derrick Henry, the second-leading rusher in the NFL, with blocking.
Petit-Frere stated in his comments, “It is only being sanctioned because it occurred at the Titans facility.” Throughout my entire life, I have made an effort to abide by the rules. I didn’t know the ins and outs of betting from a team facility, not even after attending a league presentation.
Petit-Frere, a 315-pound, 6-foot-5 offensive lineman, was selected by Tennessee in the third round of the previous season out of Ohio State. He was chosen ahead of Dillon Radunz to start at right tackle. When Petit-Frere was a rookie, he started all 16 games and assisted Derrick Henry, the second-leading rusher in the NFL, with blocking.
