The Indianapolis Colts sent a clear message Thursday afternoon by showing the door to two of their players who had violated the NFL’s sports betting policy.
They are cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and linebacker Rashod Berry. Both players were indefinitely banned by the league today for betting on Goodell Tour games in 2022.
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If they want to return to the NFL, they’ll have to wait until the end of next season before they can apply to return to the game.
“The integrity of the game is paramount. “As an organization, we will continue to educate our players, coaches and employees about the policies in place and the significant consequences that can result from violations,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said in a statement.
Rodgers apologized for the incident in early June and said he took “full responsibility for his actions.” The statement came after the NFL launched an investigation into whether he broke gambling rules.
A sports betting account was reportedly opened in the name of a Rodgers employee and 100 transactions were made on the account, including bets on Colts games. The amount of these predictions ranged from $25 to $50.
ESPN reported Wednesday that the 25-year-old has already won $1,000 after predicting the exact number of rushing yards an unnamed Colts running back will rush.
The Florida native spent the first three seasons of his career with the Indiana team, which selected him in the sixth round in 2020. His rookie contract was still valid for one year. A total of $3.4 million over four years.
Berry made his last big league appearance in 2021 with the Detroit Lions. Before joining the Colts in January, he spent most of the past year on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice team.
Other players banned
In addition to the two Colts color holders, two other footballers were honored on Thursday. They are Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicolas Petit-Frere and defensive tackle Demetrius Taylor, who is currently a free agent.
Taylor has been suspended until further notice while Petit-Frere will miss the first six games of the season. The Titans representative had been betting at team facilities outside of the NFL.
Last April, league officials also sanctioned Lions running back Jameson Williams and five other players for violating the rule.