DENVER — The Denver Broncos have lost second-year player Eyioma Uwazurike for at least the entire 2023 season after the defensive lineman was suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL's gambling policy.
Uwazurike, a fourth-round draft pick last year out of Iowa State, was betting on NFL games last season.
"The NFL confirmed today that Eyioma Uwazurike of the Denver Broncos has been suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games in the 2022 season. Uwazurike will be eligible to petition for reinstatement no earlier than July 24, 2024," says an NFL statement.
The Broncos said in a statement:
"We were informed by the NFL today that Eyioma Uwazurike has been suspended by the league indefinitely for violating its gambling policy. Our organization fully cooperated with this investigation and takes matters pertaining to the integrity of the game very seriously.
“The Denver Broncos will continue to provide all members of our organization with the necessary education, resources and support to ensure compliance with the NFL’s Gambling Policy.”
There are two big rules to the NFL’s gambling policy for players. One, they can never bet anything NFL-related. Never.
Two, while they can bet on other sports, they cannot bet on other sports while at the team’s practice facilities, stadium, charter flight, hotel room or on company time. Because players continue to get caught violating these rules, the NFL stepped up its educational tools on its gambling policy, bringing in Tom Brady to video a message to players saying just say no to NFL gambling.
It sunk in too late for Uwazurike.
"We got a packet from the league," Broncos head coach Payton said following an OTA practice on June 8. "Obviously, when policies change, it’s our job to educate. (Compliance boss) Mark Thewes was awesome. We’re professional teachers. The packet we received, we looked at it, studied it closely and then we presented it in our own PowerPoint.
"I probably had 20 minutes on it to really make sure everyone has it. If you’re a teacher and half your class get a D, you better look at yourself. It’s not the policy, but it’s the implementation, the understanding, and the educating of the policy.
"I presented a week and a half ago, and now someone officially will present it. Hopefully, it won’t be from that eight-page handout we received because that was more confusing after I read it than it was before I looked at it. I think we’re all on the same page."
Born and raised in Detroit, Uwazurike, 25, was essentially "redshirted" for most of the first-half of his rookie season with the Broncos but got some playing time in the second half. He blocked a field goal attempt by the Chiefs' Harrison Butker on the final play of the first half in a Jan. 1 game last season at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Broncos were counting on the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Uwazurike to get more playing time along the defensive line this year. Up front on defense, the Broncos have Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Matt Henningsen, Jonathan Harris and Mike Purcell, who is beginning training camp on a non-football injury list.
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