Who are the 5 players that the NFL has reinstated after gambling allegations?

In the wake of a lifetime ban for the Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter, and the scandal surrounding the interpreter of MLB’s superstar and Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way sensation, Shohei Ohtani, gambling in professional sports has become a major talking point.

NFL reinstates five found guilty of gambling

According to reports this week, the NFL has reinstated five players who were suspended for the entirety of the 2023 season following violations of the league’s gambling policy. As per reports, the players in question are defensive end Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders and free agents Rashod Berry, Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore, and Demetrius Taylor. In light of the decision, Toney can now participate in any of the Commanders’ offseason activities, while the other four players can now sign with any team that wants them.

As for the specifics of what the players were punished for, Cephus, Toney, and Moore were dealt their suspensions last April, a decision that resulted in the almost immediate release of Cephus and Moore by the Detroit Lions. Where Berry and Taylor are concerned, the pair were suspended last June along with former Indianapolis Colts teammate, Isaiah Rodgers, after they were found to have placed bets on NFL games in 2022. In a similar fashion to Cephus and Moore, they were waived shortly after being suspended by the league.

It’s worth noting that two other players from the Lions - wide receiver Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill III - received six-game suspensions for gambling. While it’s safe to say that each player involved served the suspension they were handed, it goes without saying that the announcement will draw attention given the context of the moment in which it occurred. That said, the NFL’s policy is quite clear in its prohibition of any league employee when it comes to gambling and one can’t deny that it didn’t hold to the letter of the law.