Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Indianapolis Colts and free agent Demetrius Taylor are being suspended indefinitely — through at least the 2023 season — for betting on NFL games last season.
In addition, Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere is being suspended six games for betting on other sports at the workplace.
Sources familiar with the activity on the online sportsbook account used by Rodgers told ESPN’s David Purdum on Thursday that upwards of 100 bets were placed, including at least one wager on a game involving the Colts. A source told ESPN that friends of Rodgers, who were in Florida, encouraged him to place many of the wagers, the majority of which were in the $25-$50 range. Legal sports betting was not available in Florida this past football season. The largest wager placed on the account was a $1,000 prop bet on the over/under on rushing yards by a Colts running back, which won.
Rodgers, 25, acknowledged his situation on social media earlier this month, saying he takes “full responsibility” for his actions.
In a statement to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Petit Frere said Thursday, “the betting I engaged in was NOT NFL related and was legal under Tennessee law. It is only being sanctioned because it occurred at the Titans facility.
“I want to apologize to my family, coaches, teammates and the Titans fans. I have always strived in every stage of my life to follow the rules. I did not knowingly break the rules. Even after attending a league presentation, I was unaware about the specifics around placing bets from a team facility.
“I will do everything in my power to help the team during training camp and will be prepared when I return to the roster during the season.”
The Titans said in a statement that, “we believe in Nick and know that he has deep respect for the integrity of the game and our organization. We will continue to emphasize to our players the importance of understanding and adhering to league rules and policies.”
Rodgers started nine games in 2022 and was seen as a likely starter for the Colts this season following the trade of Stephon Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Colts signed Berry, 26, off the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ practice squad in January. He has appeared in eight regular-season game, last in 2021 when he appeared in five games for the Detroit Lions. He also appeared in three games for the New England Patriots in 2020.
The 24-year-old Taylor, a defensive tackle, played last season for the Lions and appeared in one game.
The Titans selected Petit-Frere in the third round of the 2022 draft. He won the starting right tackle job during training camp and started 16 games last season.
An ankle injury kept Petit-Frere starting the season finale against the Jaguars with the AFC South Division title on the line. Petit-Frere played in 97% of the offensive snaps last season. He committed eight penalties and had an 84.2 Pass Block Win Rate.
Four Lions players and one Washington Commanders player were suspended by the NFL for gambling violations. Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore were suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games, as was Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney. Lions wide receivers Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill were suspended for six games each for mobile betting that occurred at the Lions’ Allen Park facility.
The Lions subsequently released Cephus, Moore and Berryhill.
Last year, then-Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season for betting on NFL games over a five-game stretch when he was away from the team. He was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars at the trade deadline in November and reinstated in March.
Eleven players, at least one assistant coach and an undisclosed number of league personnel have been suspended for violating the NFL gambling policy since 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal statute that had restricted regulated betting to primarily Nevada. Since the Supreme Court decision, 34 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have launched legal betting markets.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport and Stephen Holder contributed to this report.
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Recap
Four NFL Players Suspended for Violating Gambling Policies
Three players, Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Indianapolis Colts and free agent Demetrius Taylor, have been suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games last season. Rodgers placed over 100 bets, including one on a Colts game, with the majority being in the $25-$50 range. Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere has been suspended for six games for betting on other sports at the workplace. Petit-Frere claims the betting was legal under Tennessee law and apologizes for breaking league rules. Several other players have previously been suspended for gambling violations since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down restrictions on regulated betting.
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