New York Jets wide receiver coach Miles Austin is facing a year-long suspension after it was discovered that he had violated the NFL’s rigid gambling policy. The NFL said Austin, 38, is appealing the suspension.
“The league will have no further comment until that appeal has been resolved,” the NFL’s statement said.
Austin, who is in his second season as a coach for the Jets, had been under investigation by the NFL for a lengthy period of time. Austin did not bet on NFL games, but apparently had made wagers on college football. He also allegedly made wagers at the team’s facility, which is also a violation of league policy.
Austin’s agent, William P. Deni Jr., put out a statement saying his client did not gamble on professional football.
“The NFL suspended Miles Austin for wagering from a legal mobile account on table games and non-NFL professional sports,” Deni said. “Miles did not wager on any NFL game in violation of the Gambling Policy for NFL Personnel. He has been fully cooperative with the NFL’s investigation. He is appealing his suspension.”
The NFL’s policy on gambling is one of the strictest in sports. According to the league, an NFL player or staff member can go to a regular casino but can’t enter a sportsbook during the season. If someone accrues more than $10,000 in gambling debt at any time, he has to tell the NFL’s security team, so the NFL can make sure no one blackmails him into rigging an NFL game.
Austin played 10 years in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. He was a coach for one season with the San Francisco 49ers, before joining Robert Saleh’s staff in New York in 2021.
Austin is the third person associated with the NFL to be suspended for gambling since 2020. Former Arizona Cardinals defensive back Josh Shaw was suspended for the 2020 season after placing three parlay bets while on injured reserve in 2019.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the 2022 season after he bet on NFL games in 2021. Commissioner Roger Goodell informed Ridley of the suspension in a letter.
“There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL’s success — and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league — than upholding the integrity of the game,” Goodell wrote in the letter.
“This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official, and anyone else employed in the league. Your actions put the integrity of the game at risk, threatened to damage public confidence in professional football, and potentially undermined the reputations of your fellow players throughout the NFL. For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy warranting the most substantial sanction. In your case, I acknowledge and commend you for your promptly reporting for an interview, and for admitting your actions.”
