NFL Suspends 5 Players for Gambling, Including Lions' Jameson Williams
Analysis 4/21/23
The NFL suspended five players — Jameson Williams, Stanley Berryhill, Shaka Toney, C.J. Moore and Quintez Cephus — for gambling policy violations on Friday. Williams, Berryhill, Moore and Cephus played for the Detroit Lions, and Toney played for the Washington Commanders last season.
Moore, Cephus and Toney are suspended indefinitely, meaning they'll miss at least the 2023 season and can apply for reinstatement next offseason. Berryhill and Williams, who the Lions selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, will be suspended for the season's first six games. The Lions released Cephus and Moore on Friday.
"As a result of an NFL investigation, it came to our attention that a few of our players had violated the league's gambling policy," Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in a statement. "These players exhibited decision-making that is not consistent with our organizational values and violates league rules. We have made the decision to part ways with Quintez and C.J. immediately. We are disappointed by the decision-making demonstrated by Stanley and Jameson and will work with both players to ensure they understand the severity of these violations and have clarity on the league rules moving forward."
Williams and Berryhill were not suspended for a full season because they did not bet on NFL games. Instead, they bet on other sports from within an NFL facility, which is still a violation. Berryhill and Williams can participate in offseason activities leading up to their suspension, which starts on the final roster cut-down date.
Williams' agents, Alliance Sports, also issued a statement.
“Alliance Sports confirms that its client, Jameson Williams, has been suspended by the NFL for six games for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. Jameson takes full responsibility for his actions and is very apologetic to the NFL, his teammates and the fans and city of Detroit."
Last month, the Lions also dismissed a number of staff members for violating the NFL's gambling policy, ESPN reported.
Williams was slated to be an important part of the Lions' offense this season. The team finished 9-8 in 2022, just missing out on the NFC's final playoff spot. Williams played in six games last season after recovering from a torn ACL suffered before the 2022 NFL Draft.