The NFL put the proverbial hammer down on its gambling policy for players and league personnel this offseason.
The league suspended several violators in succession in order to send a message on how seriously they’re taking the crackdown. The NFL also sent out its six commandments that encompass what players must abide by to avoid future suspensions.
However, there’s one group of people who work within the NFL sphere yet aren’t bound by any set rules: agents. One high-level team executive spoke to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk to express concern over how player agents can circumvent the gambling policy with valuable insider information.
“Players always tell their agents if they are playing or not prior to game or night before,” the source said. “Imagine how that could swing things.”
Injuries are one of the most highly scrutinized aspects of sports betting. When a key player plans to sit out a game, particularly at the last minute, that information is as good as gold.
Both the NFL and NFLPA — which regulates its players’ agents — admittedly have no direct rule imposed against the contract negotiators who have direct access to the players they handle. Instead, agents are said to be “implicitly covered in language that prohibits violations of federal and state laws.”
It remains to be seen if the NFL will eventually make moves to cover up any leaks before they drip. It could very well take a publicized infraction from an agent before that happens.
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