Uwazurike is suspected to have placed wagers on NFL games during the 2022 season and thus broke the league’s policy on gambling by its own team members, staffers, and other insiders. Uwazurike made the Broncos as a fourth-round draft from Iowa State and played eight games.
Another Player Gets Targeted in NFL’s Anti-Betting Crackdown
He is also the 10th player this season to have received a suspension over alleged sports gambling offenses, something that the NFL has sought to address quickly. With his suspension this week, the league has put a window out on his reinstatement no sooner than July 24, 2024, meaning that he will miss the upcoming season and the Super Bowl a potentially career-ending move for him.
The Broncos have already released a statement and the team has confirmed that it will be collaborating fully with the investigation, adding:
The Denver Broncos will continue to provide all members of our organization with the necessary education, resources and support to ensure compliance with the NFL’s gambling policy.
The Denver Broncos
Uwazurike may still have got a lighter penalty, as the NFL has previously suspended three other players putting them on indefinite suspension. All of this comes in the midst of a wave of offenses by NFL insiders who have been tempted of betting on the outcome of NFL games, including their own teams, and highlighting more serious issues within the NFL.
For the part of players, only a few, including Isaiah Rodgers, have admitted to intentional wrongdoing. Most others have insisted that they were not aware of the policy, prompting the NFL to pass more rigorous training mechanisms for boosting awareness of the issue.
The NFL Determined to Root Out the Bad Practice
Tom Brady was called upon to participate in training materials informing new players and NFL insiders on the dangers of sports gambling and the prohibition to wager on NFL games. In fact, players are allowed to place non-sports wagers on things such as horse and dog races, providing they do so at regulated venues.
In addition, NFL players may not maintain any form of relationship with professional sports bettors and must limit their contacts with such people lest they are suspected of disclosing inside information that is not publicly available. Betting offenses in the NFL have been going on for several years now, but the most recent spate of such incidents has put the NFL on high alert promoting stronger action.