NEW YORK — Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw has been suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games on multiple occasions this season, the first time in more than 35 years a player has been banned for gambling.
The league announced the suspension Friday. Shaw was banned for at least the rest of this season and the entire 2020 season. He can petition for reinstatement on Feb. 15, 2021.
According to the NFL, a league investigation found no information that Shaw used inside information or compromised any games. Shaw has not played this season and was placed on injured reserve after a shoulder injury in the preseason opener.
The league also said it found no evidence that teammates, coaches or other players were aware of Shaw betting on games.
“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. 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,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “If you work in the NFL in any capacity, you may not bet on NFL football.”
The Cardinals didn’t comment on the suspension, referring to the NFL’s statement.
The NFL did not say where Shaw placed his bets. Sports betting is now legal in 13 states after a Supreme Court decision in 2018 struck down the federal law that had limited full-scale legal sports betting to Nevada. The NFL has long been opposed to the expansion of legal gambling but since the decision has softened its stance and entered into limited partnerships with sportsbook operators.
Suspensions of NFL players for betting are rare. The highest-profile case was in 1963 when Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers and Alex Karras of the Detroit Lions were banned for the entire season. Both were reinstated the following season and Hornung went on to make the Hall of Fame.
In the most recent case, Baltimore Colts quarterback Art Schlichter was suspended in 1983 for betting on NFL games and other sporting events. He, too, was reinstated the following year.
PATRIOTS: With illness ripping through his locker room, Coach Bill Belichick was glad the Patriots weren’t featured as part of the Thanksgiving schedule on Thursday.
“We’ve had some guys miss. We’ll see how they are today. We’ll re-evaluate it after today,” Belichick said Friday. “It would have been hard if we played yesterday. I’ll say that.”
The Patriots had 18 players on their injury report Thursday including nine with illness. Patrick Chung, Jamie Collins, Jermaine Eluemunor, Stephon Gilmore, Dont’a Hightower, Ryan Izzo, JoeJuan Williams, Isaiah Wynn and Marcus Cannon all either missed or were limited because of it.
Belichick coughed multiple times during his Friday morning press conference. But the coach was quick to brush off any connection.
“I feel good. Something just kind of went down the wrong way,” said Belichick, who was asked if the illness has affected his staff. “It kind of hit everybody a little bit. We’ll see. We’ll start doing injury reports on coaching staffs. That’ll be the next thing.”
Quarterback Tom Brady said he’s managed to stay unaffected.
“I’m a pretty healthy guy. Can’t avoid it all the time. I try to for the most part. I keep my immune system nice and strong if possible,” he said Friday.
• New England again swung its revolving door on kickers, signing veteran Kai Forbath to replace Nick Folk.
Folk was released one day after he reportedly underwent an emergency appendectomy. He signed with the team on Oct. 30.
Forbath becomes the Patriots’ fourth kicker this season, succeeding Stephen Gostkowski, Mike Nugent and Folk.
“(We) worked Kai out earlier this fall, three or four weeks ago, whatever it was,” Belichick said Friday. “So we’ll see how it goes.”
COWBOYS: While declaring he wouldn’t fire embattled coach Jason Garrett during the season, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones basically begged his underachieving team –which still leads the NFC East at 6-6 but is falling far short of lofty expectations fueled by a 3-0 start – to create turnovers.
The latest example was the 26-15 loss to Buffalo on Thanksgiving, a fourth straight game without creating a turnover.
“I think we can get some turnovers,” Jones said. “We’re going to have to do it now to win these next games. Do I think that’s possible to happen? Absolutely I do.
CHARGERS: Coach Anthony Lynn will wait until Saturday before deciding whether to activate safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips for Sunday’s game at Denver.
James and Phillips are on injured reserve but have been designated to return. James returned to practice on Monday for the first time since he suffered a stress fracture to his right foot during joint practices with the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 15.
Phillips – who broke his right forearm during the fourth quarter of a Sept. 15 game at Detroit – has been practicing the past two weeks.
WASHINGTON: Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan – the 2011 No. 16 overall pick who hasn’t missed a single game in his nine seasons, a run of 139 consecutive games – has been officially declared out for Sunday’s game against Carolina as he continues to deal with a concussion suffered last week against the Lions.
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