According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, wide receiver coach Miles Austin of the New York Jets has been suspended for breaking the NFL’s gambling policy. Austin, a former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, is currently appealing a suspension despite not reportedly placing bets on NFL games. A day after New York’s 19-3 loss to Jacksonville, Austin’s suspension was announced.
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The NFL confirmed today that New York Jets’ wide receivers coach Miles Austin has been suspended for violating the NFL’s Gambling Policy, per @RichCimini and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 23, 2022
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the suspension is indefinite and will last at least a year because Austin bet on sports other than the NFL. Pelissero claims there is no proof Austin bet on the NFL.
According to a statement sent to The Associated Press by Austin’s agent and attorney, William P. Deni Jr., he did not bet on football.
According to Deni, Miles Austin was suspended by the NFL for using a legitimate mobile account to wager on table games and non-NFL professional sports. “In accordance with the NFL’s gambling policy, Miles did not wager on any games. He has given the NFL’s investigation his full cooperation. He’s contesting the suspension.”
As it turns out, this is the second time in the last few months when the league has indefinitely suspended an NFL-related member. Atlanta Falcons’ WR Calvin Ridley was also suspended earlier this year for violating the same rule.
The Rise of Betting in the sports
In recent years, the market for sports betting in the US has expanded quickly. The NFL prohibits all forms of sports gambling, whether they involve football or not.
Following a Supreme Court decision in 2018, states with the exception of Nevada now have the authority to legalise sports betting.
More than 30 states now permit legal sports betting in some capacity, and more are currently reviewing their legal frameworks. There are several sportsbook operators with whom the NFL has business agreements.
NFL players are permitted by league policy to wager casually on other sports, but employees of the league or clubs are not permitted to wager on other professional sports.
In his 10-year NFL playing career, Austin caught 361 passes for 5,273 yards and 37 touchdowns. Austin spent his first eight seasons in Dallas after being signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Monmouth in 2006. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2009 and 2010.
Before retiring and going into coaching, he completed his playing career with one-year stints in Cleveland (2014) and Philadelphia (2015).
