NFL reinstates Isaiah Rodgers after one-year suspension for sports betting violations
The NFL has reinstated 26-year-old Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers after he was suspended for a year for violating the league's sports betting rules.
Rodgers was banned from professional football a year ago after a league investigation revealed that the then-Indianapolis Colts player placed bets through a legal online sportsbook in Indiana. The Colts cut Rodgers after he was suspended. The Eagles signed the free agent in August.
Rodgers' reinstatement allows him to immediately resume all team activities in Philadelphia. The Eagles and the rest of the NFL are preparing for the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night.
Rodgers is one of more than a dozen players suspended since 2018 for violating the league's gambling policy. The rule prohibits all team members, referees and front office employees from placing bets on NFL games, whether they are directly involved or involved.
An investigation last year found that Rodgers made more than 100 bets on NFL games, including a bet on Colts running back Jonathan Taylor that won $1,000. Rodgers never made up his mind to overturn or change a game, but he was betting that his team would win and that Taylor would have more rushing yards than the oddsmakers' over/under total.
Rogers’ Statement
Rodgers played clutch minutes for the Colts in his three seasons. He played 45 games in Indy, recording 90 tackles and three interceptions. He also returned a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown.
Rodgers said on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" in February that he would not bet on NFL games. He claimed he placed the bets for family and friends who lived in Florida, where sports betting is not yet legal.
I just wanted to help my family and friends, even though I knew it wasn’t legal in Florida and Indiana at the time,” Rogers said.
When asked if he had ever bet on sporting events, Rodgers responded, "No." He also told OTL that he does not have a gambling problem.
The NFL's audit found evidence that at least 100 bets were made from Rodgers' online sports betting account, with the majority of bets between $25 and $50. The player acknowledged these facts but said most of the bets were on "crazy combinations... trying to make crazy amounts of money."
Rogers later admitted that his willingness to place bets on behalf of friends and family was "a big mistake."
Game Integrity
Legal sports betting is more common than ever in the United States, leading to heightened concerns about betting integrity among officials in the four major leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL).
The NBA recently took drastic measures, banning Toronto Raptors franchise player Jontay Porter for life after discovering he attempted to fix games and deny performances that benefited bettors. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said "nothing is more important than protecting the integrity of the sport" regarding the threat posed to Porter.
Recently, betting scandals have also rocked Major League Baseball. Most notable is the controversy surrounding Los Angeles Dodgers superstar translator Shohei Ohtani, who allegedly stole millions of dollars from his owners to fund his sports betting operations.
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