Last mouth, the NFL suspended four Lions players for violating the gambling policy. There could eventually be a fifth.
According to Kalyn Kahler of TheAthletic.com, the NFL is investigating a fifth player for violating the gambling policy.
TheAthletic.com declined to name the player because the investigation is ongoing. That’s a sharp turn from the various media outlets that will routinely report on players facing violations of other policies before the investigations are final.
But Kahler writes that the player in question “was not a prominent member of the 2022 team.” He has yet to be interviewed by the league.
The fact that another Lions player is being investigated underscores the importance of teams properly educating players as to the gambling policy — and as to the serious consequences for violating it. In Detroit, four players failed and another one could be joining the list.
On Thursday, receiver Jameson Williams, who received a six-game suspension for violating the rule against gambling on team premises, said he did not know about the policy. The Lions presumably told him and his teammates about it. The challenge when doing so is to get them to understand that this isn’t basic, boring H.R.-type seminar material but a critical aspect of their ability to play pro football in the NFL.