The NFL is investigating another potential violation of its legal sports betting policy.
America’s most popular professional sports league is investigating Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers for potential infractions of its gambling policy, according to an ESPN report.
Rodgers, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, allegedly placed roughly 100 wagers from a sportsbook that was registered in the name of an associate. The UMass product also allegedly placed wagers on the Colts with bets ranging between $25-$50.
Rodgers reportedly placed at least one bet with the sportsbook that was in the low four figures.
“Addressing the current reports, I want to take full responsibility for my actions,” Rodgers said in a Tweet on Monday night. “I know I have made mistakes and I am willing to do whatever it takes to repair the situation. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to be a distraction to the Colts organization, my coaches, and my teammates. I’ve let people down that I care about.”
Rodgers, who has 10 career starts, is entering the final season of a four-year, $3.4 million deal.
It is unclear what sportsbook Rodgers used to place the wagers that have potentially violated the NFL’s gambling policy. However, Indiana has 13 online betting sites, including major operators such as DraftKings, BetMGM, and FanDuel — the largest sportsbook in America.
Indiana had a total sports betting handle of $321.4 million in April — down 25.7% from March.
NFL is keeping busy
The new probe adds to a growing list of violations pertaining to the NFL’s gambling policy. In April, the league suspended five players from the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders.
The suspensions included Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore of the Lions and Shaka Toney of the Commanders — who were suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games during the 2022 season. In addition, Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams of the Lions received six-game suspensions for 2023 for wagering on non-NFL games at their team’s facility.
Last year, Calvin Ridley of the Jacksonville Jaguars was suspended for the entire 2022 season for wagering on NFL games during his stint with the Atlanta Falcons. New York Jets wide receivers coach Miles Austin was handed a minimum one-year suspension in December 2022 for betting.
Despite the NFL’s recent influx of gambling-related violations, more than 99.5% of all sporting events are free from match-fixing, according to a recent review by Sportradar Integrity Services.
