Ahead of this year’s much-anticipated draft, the NFL has reinstated Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, as well as five other players. Rodgers was suspended on June 29th 2023 for violating betting policies.
Accepted Responsibility
Isaiah Rodgers was suspended last summer when it was revealed he had placed over 100 bets that violated the league’s policy. He has contested that he had placed the bets on behalf of his friends, who were located in Flordia, a state where sports betting was not legal.
Despite this, Rodgers has accepted full responsibility for placing the bets, acknowledging that he knew the rules when he broke them. In a statement on X on June 6th 2023, Rodgers said that he accepted responsibility and was willing to do whatever was necessary to fix the situation. He described the situation as an ‘error in judgment’. He finished by apologising and saying that it is an honour to play in the NFL.
Rodgers has yet to take to the field for the Eagles. He was playing for the Indianapolis Colts when the incident took place and was immediately released by the franchise.
In an interview with ESPN, Rodgers said that around $1,000 had been wagered from his account. He said that most of them were silly $25-$50 parlays and that not of them were for major, life-changing amounts of cash.
Reinstated Ahead of the Draft
Isaiah Rodgers is one of six players that has been reinstated by the NFL ahead of this week’s draft. Last week, the league reinstated Shaka Toney, Quintez Cephus, CJ Moore, Demetrius Taylor, and Rashod Berry.
Sports betting is still a relatively new phenomenon in America. There have been 12 athletes across the major sports divisions in America who have been banned for betting violations since 2018.
The timing of Rodgers being reinstated is perfect for the Philadelphia Eagles, as it will now allow the club, who has the 22nd pick in the draft, to select him. The Eagles have said in a statement that they are believers in second chances, and it is now down to Rodgers to prove himself.
