Theismann Reveals Gambling Concern: 'Perception of Fixed Games'

Former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann is speaking out about the NFL's apparent problem with players being involved in gambling and is hopeful that recent suspensions will send a clear message not only to the athletes ... but also to NFL fans.

“It better work,” Theismann said while appearing on Varney & Co. on Fox Business Network. "I think the NFL, because of the stringent nature of these rules that have been put in place, realizes that you just don’t want to let anything seep into the game to give people the perception that the games are fixed. They’re really trying to make sure of that.”

Just that sentence alone - "the perception that the games are fixed'' is a frightening one to the NFL as it concerns itself with the integrity of the sport. That explains the crackdown, as last year, wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022-23 season for gambling on games before he was reinstated earlier this year. And this offseason, four Detroit Lions players were suspended for gambling. Safety C.J. Moore and wide receiver Quintez Cephus received indefinite suspensions for gambling on NFL games, while wide receivers Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill received six-game suspensions for placing bets on non-NFL games.

Theismann said NFL players need to recognize how to avoid crossing a line and hopes the suspensions represent a wake-up call.

“From an NFL player standpoint, you think of the millions of dollars that the players are making,” he said. “If you wanted to go into a (casino), I guess in the offseason, it might be OK. ... I don’t think they’re going to say if you play in the NFL, you can’t gamble. But they certainly want to protect the integrity of the game as much as they possibly can. And I can certainly understand it.”