Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore of the Detroit Lions and Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders were suspended indefinitely for betting on N.F.L. games, and two other Lions players will sit out six games for gambling violations.
The N.F.L. suspended five players on Friday for violating the league’s gambling policy, including three who were banned for at least the entire 2023 season, in the biggest group of penalties for gambling violations in 60 years.
The announcement comes at a time when the N.F.L., the nation’s richest and most popular sports league, is encouraging gambling through its relationships with sports betting companies while also trying to maintain the public’s trust that football games are above reproach and unaffected by the vast sums wagered on them.
The league released no specifics about the bets placed by these players or how the violations were uncovered, but said its investigation did not turn up evidence that “any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way.”
After a league investigation, receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore of the Detroit Lions and defensive end Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders were suspended indefinitely for betting on N.F.L. games last season. The players can petition the league for reinstatement after the 2023 season.
