#Broncos DE Eyioma Uwazurike suspended for betting on NFL games [Video]

The NFL announced on Monday that it has suspended Denver Broncos defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike indefinitely for betting on league games.

Uwazurike placed the bets during the 2022 season, according to the league. The NFL didn’t clarify if Uwazurike bet on Broncos games. He won’t be eligible to petition for reinstatement until 2024, meaning that he’ll miss the entirety of the 2023 season at a minimum.

Uwazurike, 25, joined the Broncos as a rookie in 2022 as a fourth-round draft pick out of Iowa State. He played in eight games as a backup, tallying 17 tackles, 2 quarterback hits and 1 pass defended. He was scheduled to play the 2023 season on the second year of a four-year, $4.4 million contract, $765,000 of which was guaranteed via signing bonus.

Uwazurike is the 10th player suspended by the NFL since April for violations of the league’s gambling policy. Indianapolis Colts Isaiah Rodgers (cornerback) and Rashod Berry (defensive end), Detroit Lions Quintez Cephus (wide receiver), C.J. Moore (defensive back), Jameson Williams (wide receiver) and Stanley Berryhill (wide receiver), Washington Commander Shaka Toney (defensive end), Tennessee TitanNicholas Petit-Frere (offensive lineman) and free agent Demetrius Taylor (defensive end) have also been suspended for various violations of the league’s gambling policy.

The NFL previously suspended then-Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for the 2022 season for a gambling-policy violation. Ridley has since been reinstated and will play for the Jacksonville Jaguars this season after a trade from Atlanta.

Ridley’s was the first gambling suspension issued by the NFL since the widespread legalization of sports betting in 2018 following a favorable ruling by the Supreme Court. The NFL has since embraced sports betting as part of its business model including partnerships with multiple sports books. But players face significant restrictions per the league’s gambling policy with the most severe discipline reserved for players who bet on NFL games.