NFL investigating fifth Lions player for gambling violation

The NFL is investigating a fifth player on the Detroit Lions over potential violations of the league's gambling policy, according to a report by senior NFL writer Kalyn Kahler of The Athletic.

Kahler doesn't name the player since the investigation is ongoing, but she said that he was not a prominent member of the 2022 team.

In April, the league suspended several Lions for violations of its gambling policy. Wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore received indefinite bans for placing bets on NFL games. Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams were suspended six games apiece for betting on non-NFL games while at a Lions facility. 

Williams is currently the only player still on Detroit's roster, and he told reporters that he wasn't aware there was a formal league policy on what NFL personnel could do when it came to sports betting. As told by USA Today, the second-year player out of Alabama said:

“I wasn’t aware of this situation. But as it happened, I took it on the chin. I was ready to move forward. As things went on, I got the consequences. That’s been my whole plan: moving forward from things and just looking at the better days.” 

On Monday, ESPN's David Purdum reported that the league began looking into more violations of its policy with the understanding that a second wave of suspensions was coming. Purdum broke down how the league not only explains its stance to players, but offers training and support to help them evade potential issues.

Yet as often pointed out by fans and media, the NFL's relationship with sports betting companies has surely made it look hypocritical. For the Lions to have lucrative sponsorship deals with BetMGM, WynnBET and local casino Soaring Eagle while having to take its players to task speaks to the league's overall conundrum with sports betting. Even if the players (and coaches) need to be smarter about the activity, it can't help that stadiums around the country are adorned with signage for the temptation they're supposed to avoid.