For placing bets on games in the previous season, three NFL players have been given lifetime bans, while a fourth has been given a shorter suspension for a different gambling offense.

The NFL has penalized free agent Demetrius Taylor, defensive end Rashod Berry, and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers of the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts subsequently released Rodgers, 25, and Berry, 26, on Thursday.

Right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere of the Tennessee Titans was suspended for six games as a result of his involvement in other sports wagering at the team’s facility.

He is allowed to take part in every practice and game during the offseason and preseason.

Rodgers, Berry, and Taylor, all 23 years old, “may petition for reinstatement at the conclusion of the 2023 season,” according to the NFL.

The Colts’ general manager, Chris Ballard, issued the following statement: “We have made the following roster changes as a result of our finding that these players broke the league’s gambling policy.

“The game’s integrity is extremely important. As a team, we’ll keep educating our players, coaches, and employees about the rules in place and the serious repercussions that could follow from transgressions.

Three players were suspended for the whole 2023 season in April for breaking the NFL’s gambling rules, while two others received six-game suspensions.

ADVERTISEMENT

The NFL stated that it has also reinforced the league policy with all of the teams and that the regulations are “annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, including players, and prohibits anyone in the NFL from engaging in any form of gambling in any club or league facility or venue, including the practice facility.”

In a statement, Petit-Frere, 23, claimed that he “did not knowingly break the rules”.

Even after going to a league presentation, he continued, “I didn’t know the nuances regarding putting bets from a club facility.