The National Football League has suspended Arizona Cardinals defensive back Josh Shaw for betting on games, the league announced Friday.
Shaw, who is currently on injured reserve, will not be eligible to play for the remainder of the 2019 season, and out indefinitely until at least the conclusion of the 2020 season for betting on NFL games on “multiple occasions,” the league said.
“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,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “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.
“If you work in the NFL in any capacity,” Goodell concluded, “you may not bet on NFL football.”
Shaw’s agent, Zeke Sandhu of Elite Athlete Management, did not immediately respond to request for comment about the suspension.
Shaw, 27, has not played this season as he’s currently out with a shoulder injury. The NFL says its investigation found Shaw used no insider information, while also acknowledging there was no evidence showing teammates and coaches knew about Shaw’s betting activity.
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Shaw placed bets on games while on a trip with friends in Las Vegas. Shaw, who signed with the Cardinals on a one-year deal worth roughly $895,000, has three business days to appeal his suspension via the NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement. If Shaw files and losses any appeal, he could petition for reinstatement following Feb. 15, 2021.
The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Shaw in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. In 55 career games, Shaw recorded 108 total tackles and one sack.