The NFL is having a lot of problems with members of the league gambling. Everyone has their opinion, but now a former teammate of Tom Brady at the New England Patriots has shared a controversial thought: players should be able to bet on their own clubs.
In the NFL, like in other major American leagues, players are prohibited from gambling on their own sports. Such actions could tempt them to alter their performance to influence a specific outcome, thereby jeopardizing the integrity of the game.
A few days ago, the league conducted an investigation into several players who were reportedly involved in gambling on multiple games. The individuals were found guilty, and as a result, some of them received indefinite suspensions for their actions.
Two-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots thinks players should be able to gamble
Gambling is giving the NFL a headache. Calvin Ridley couldn’t play last season due to this matter, and now the league decided to suspend five players after they were caught betting on several games.
Isaiah Rodgers got an indefinite suspension after the league discovered he bet on numerous games of the Indianapolis Colts. The team decided to immediately cut him, and it looks like he won’t return in a near future.
Despite gambling being widely recognized as something to avoid, there are some players who hold a different view. Jonathan Jones, New England Patriots cornerback and former teammate of Tom Brady, is among those individuals.
“I understand rules are rules,” Jones tweeted, “but I can risk my life so that my team wins but I can’t risk $1,000 on my team winning?”
Some fans responded his tweet by saying that gambling could compromise the integrity of the game. “If you don’t give maximum effort you lose you job more than any bet,” he answered. “This isn’t boxing. You can’t get 92 players on a Sunday to not show maximum effort.”