The trio will remain without playing at least the entirety of the next campaignthe league advanced in a statement.
The other two players penalized also belong to the Lions, receivers Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill, and received six-game suspensions for placing bets on other sports from franchise facilities.
Following its investigation, the NFL said that “did not discover any evidence indicating that inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way” for the activities of these five players.
Shortly after the suspensions, the Lions announced that Cephus and Moore were off the team.
In the case of Jameson Williams, chosen by the Lions in the first round of the 2022 Draft, his representation agency stressed that the suspension was not the product of an NFL-related bet but rather the place where it was carried out.
“Jameson takes full responsibility for his actions,” Alliance Sports news agency said in a statement. “However, it is important to note that Jameson’s violation was not for betting on football, but rather due to a technical rule regarding the actual location in which the online wager was placed, which would be permitted by the NFL outside of the club facilities.
Jameson would never intentionally jeopardize the integrity of the game that he loves so much and hopes to return to his team as soon as possible.
These gambling penalties are the first in the NFL since Calvin Ridley was suspended for the 2022 season for gambling a year earlier on NFL games.including those from his own team, the Atlanta Falcons.
Ridley was reinstated by the NFL last month after being dealt to Jacksonville.