The National Football League has announced that Stanley Berryhill III, Jameson Williams, Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore and Shaka Toney have all been suspended for gambling. The Detroit Lions were hit the hardest by the suspensions, with four players being banned, while Toney plays for the Washington Commanders.
Williams, the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is the most notable name on the list. The suspensions vary in severity, with Williams and Berryhill suspended for six games and eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason activities.
Their suspensions won’t take effect until the day after the final roster cutdown in August, and they’ll be eligible to return in mid-to-late October. The other three players, Cephus, Moore, and Toney, have been indefinitely banned and can’t apply for reinstatement until April 2024 at the earliest.
Wow. The #NFL has suspended 5 players for betting on games during the 2022 season:#Lions WR Jameson Williams: 6 games#Lions WR Stanley Berryhill: 6 games#Lions S CJ Moore: Indefinitely#Lions WR Quintez Cephus: Indefinitely#Commanders DE Shaka Toney: Indefinitely pic.twitter.com/3J5YXLtvJi
— Gabriel Schray (@schrayguy) April 21, 2023
The Lions released Cephus and Moore just minutes after their suspensions were announced. The team also fired several staff members. The NFL noted that there was “no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way.”
Williams and Berryhill were caught betting on college games at the team’s practice facility, while the other three were caught betting on NFL games. The NFL’s gambling policy prohibits anyone in the NFL from engaging in any form of gambling in any club or league facility or venue, including the practice facility.
The suspension of Williams is a significant blow to the Lions, as they traded up to grab him in last year’s draft despite knowing he wouldn’t be able to play right away due to an ACL injury. The team may now look to add receiving depth in the draft.
Thank you for visiting the Midwest Sports Network and mwsn.net. For more high school, college, and pro sports, follow us on Twitter @MWSNsports or like our page on Facebook.
