Isiah Rodgers, a cornerback with the Indianapolis Colts, is under investigation by the NFL for violating the league’s gambling policy.
Rodgers, a kick returner and cornerback, allegedly placed numerous wagers on NFL games, including on his own team. The bets were made on a friend’s account and the majority of wagers were within the $25 to $50 range.
The Colts selected Rodgers out of UMass with a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He returned one kick for a touchdown in his rookie season in 2020.
It has been reported that the NFL has evidence that a player from the Colts placed hundreds of bets in 2022 and early 2023. The Sports Handle didn’t reveal the player’s name, but noted that he made wagers on the Colts during the 2022 NFL season.
The Colts confirmed the investigation, but didn’t comment any further on the situation.
“We are aware of the NFL’s investigation and will have no further comment at this time,” the Colts said in an official statement.
Indiana has legalized sports betting, but Rodgers apparently made bets while inside the Colts’ practice facility, which is in direct violation of the NFL’s gambling policy.
Rodgers is also in hot water for betting on his own team, which is taboo.
John Shaw from the Arizona Cardinals was the first player suspended in 2019 for gambling violations in the era of legalized sports betting. Shaw got slapped with a 21-game suspension for making bets, including on the Cardinals, and for fading his own team during visits to Las Vegas.
In 2022, Calvin Ridley from the Atlanta Falcons earned a one-year suspension for making parlay bets on his phone that included his own team. Ridley was recently reinstated and joined the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The latest investigation comes months after the NFL suspended five players for violating the league’s gambling policy. Four members of the Detroit Lions and one player from the Washington Commanders were flagged for either betting on NFL games or for placing wagers on sports within their team’s facility.
C.J. Moore, Quintez Cephus, and Shaka Toney were suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games. Toney was a member of the Commanders last season, but he’s no longer on the roster. Moore and Cephus played for the Lions last season, but both have since been cut.
Detroit wide receivers, Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill, were issued six-game suspensions. They placed wagers while inside the Lions’ practice facility, but didn’t bet on NFL games.
The NFL is also investigating another member of the Lions for gambling violations.
The NCAA recently flagged student athletes from Iowa and Iowa State for violating gambling regulations.
College baseball is in the middle of its own betting scandal. Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon revealed inside information to a friend who wagered against Alabama in a game against LSU. The bettor was the father of a member of the Cincinnati Bearcats baseball team. Scott Googins, head coach of Cincinnati, recently stepped down in the wake of the scandal. Bohannon also lost his job with Alabama.
