The NFL indefinitely suspended Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw for betting on multiple NFL games. At a minimum, Shaw’s suspension will last through the end of the 2020 season.
Shaw is currently on injured reserve, and has not played in the 2019 season. As it stands, Shaw won’t be eligible to petition the league for reinstatement until Feb. 15, 2021.
According to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport, sources say Shaw placed bets on a trip to a Las Vegas casino with friends.
“Shaw went to a Vegas casino this fall with buddies from [high school],” Rapoport tweeted. “Shaw placed sports bets for the 1st time based on misinterpreted understanding of the Supreme Court ruling.”
NFL’s Almost Worst Nightmare
While this wasn’t good news for the NFL, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The NFL’s press release made it clear that an internal investigation did not uncover evidence that any NFL games were compromised. The investigation also determined that Shaw didn’t rely on inside information while betting on NFL games.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has voiced his concern about how to ensure game integrity ever since the US Supreme Court lifted the ban on sports betting. Last May, Goodell appealed to Congress to pass “uniform standards for states that chose to to legalize sports betting.”
Prior to the start of the 2019 season, the league sent out emails detailing the NFL’s sports betting rules, which prohibit employees from betting on NFL games, or from providing inside information.
In light of Shaw’s suspension, Goodell reaffirmed his vigilance to maintain the integrity of the game.
“The continued success of the NFL depends directly on each of us doing everything necessary to safeguard the integrity of the game, and the reputations of all who participate in the league,” Goodell stated. “At the core of this responsibility is the longstanding principle that betting on NFL games, or on any element of a game, puts at risk the integrity of the game, damages public confidence in the NFL, and is forbidden under all circumstances.”
Not Shaw’s First Suspension
This is not the first time Shaw has been suspended from football. While playing for USC, Shaw lied about how he sustained an injury. He claimed he sprained his ankles while saving a nephew from drowning. Instead, his injuries stemmed from fleeing his apartment after neighbors called the police about a loud argument. After a 10-game suspension, USC reinstated Shaw.
Shaw has three days to appeal his current NFL suspension.