Indianapolis Colts defensive back Isaiah Rodgers Sr. is one of a handful of NFL players expected to receive a season-long suspension for violating the league’s policy on sports betting, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Rodgers, a fourth-year cornerback from the University of Massachusetts, acknowledged making “mistakes” in an Instagram post on June 5, hours after Sports Handle broke the news detailing “pervasive” betting from a Colts player inside the team facility. The bets included wagers on the Colts to win, according to a source with first-hand knowledge of the betting activity. ESPN later reported that Rodgers was the player in question.
An NFL spokesman declined comment on the reported suspensions when reached by Sports Handle on Wednesday afternoon.
Under NFL rules, a player cannot gamble on sports inside a club or league facility or venue, on a team bus or team plane, or inside a team hotel. For active NFL players, betting on league action is prohibited altogether, regardless of the location.
Rodgers made at least 100 wagers, according to ESPN, with most bets falling within a range of $25 to $50. At least one of the wagers reportedly hit four figures. Per Sports Handle’s source, Rodgers made the wagers on an account opened by an acquaintance.
In May, SI.com described Rodgers as the “Colts’ best-kept secret.” Had Rodgers produced strong numbers in a contract year, he could have been in line for a multi-year contract of at least $10 million a year, SI.com suggested.
Other incidents since PASPA decision
In the five years since the Supreme Court’s PASPA decision opened the door for widespread legalization of sports wagering, seven NFL players have been suspended for violating the league’s policy on betting.
In November 2019, the NFL suspended former Arizona Cardinals defensive back Josh Shaw indefinitely for making a series of wagers. While on injured reserve, Shaw reportedly made the bets inside a Las Vegas casino, including one wager against the Cardinals as part of a multi-leg parlay. The NFL reinstated Shaw in March 2021 after he served a 21-game suspension.
Former Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, now a wideout with the Jaguars, is the most recognizable player to be suspended for violating the NFL’s betting rules. Ridley, a 2020 second-team All Pro, missed the entire 2022 season after betting on several games while taking a leave of absence during the 2021 season.
More recently, four Lions players and Washington Commanders defensive lineman Shaka Toney were suspended in April for violating the policy. Jets wide receiver coach Miles Austin and another unnamed NFL team staffer have also been suspended for gambling violations.
The Athletic reported in late May that a fifth Lions player on the team’s 2022-23 roster was potentially under investigation by the NFL for possible violations of the league’s sports betting policy.
