21 April 2023 , 16:13
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Three NFL players have been suspended indefinitely for gambling, with two others being handed six-game bans for violating the league's policy.
Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore of the Detroit Lions have been hit with an indefinite suspension, while the same punishment has also been applied to Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders. The trio will see their suspension last until the conclusion of the 2023 season as a minimum.
An investigation uncovered that all three players had placed bets on NFL games in the 2022 season, which is strictly against league rules. Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams of the Lions have also been suspended, but only for the first six regular season games of the 2023 season.
The latest NFL crackdown on gambling has seen four Lions stars hit hard, while Toney of the Commanders will also play no part in the 2023 season. In response to the indefinite suspensions, the Lions have now released both Cephus and Moore, in a major hit to their roster ahead of the NFL Draft.
"As a result of an NFL investigation, it came to our attention that a few of our players had violated the league's gambling policy," Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in a statement. "These players exhibited decision making that is not consistent with our organisational values and violates league rules.
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"We have made the decision to part ways with Quintez and C.J. immediately. We are disappointed by the decision making demonstrated by Stanley and Jameson and will work with both players to ensure they understand the severity of these violations and have clarity on the league rules moving forward."
Berryhill and Williams therefore remain at the franchise, and are eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason activities, including preseason games. Their ban will begin once the final roster cut has been completed, meaning they won't be eligible to play for the Lions until week seven.
The NFL announced the news on Friday, stating that the suspended players may petition for reinstatement at the conclusion of the 2023 season. They also wrote: "The gambling policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, including players, prohibits anyone in the NFL from engaging in any form of gambling in any club or league facility or venue, including the practice facility.
"A league review uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way." The reasoning for the differing punishments is that Berryhill and Williams bet on non-NFL games while in the team facility, which is also not allowed.