Getty Denver Broncos defensive end Eiyoma Uwazurike.
The Denver Broncos have one of their defensive ends back after one year away from the game.
ESPN reported that the NFL reinstated defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike on August 5 after he was suspended indefinitely in July 2023 when the NFL determined he gambled on football games.
From ESPN: “Uwazurike, 26, was suspended last July for violating the NFL’s policy on gambling after the league found that he bet on NFL games during the 2022 season. He was suspended for the entire 2023 season. A fourth-round draft pick of the Broncos in 2022, Uwazurike played in eight games that season with 165 snaps on defense and would have had the opportunity to push for more playing time last season had he not been suspended.”
Uwazurike is now eligible to return the Broncos for all team activities.
Uwazurike will not prosecuted by the state of Colorado or Arapahoe County, 9News’ Mike Klis reported on July 29, after an investigation determined he did not break gambling laws. Uwazurike’s avoiding charges cleared the way for his applying for reinstatement by the NFL, Klis wrote.
Denver opens the preseason on August 11 at the Indianapolis Colts and opens the regular season on September 8 at the Seattle Seahawks.
Eyioma Uwazurike Could Help Broncos’ Depth at DE
The Broncos don’t have much depth at defensive end and depending on what type of shape he’s stayed in during his time away from football, the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Uwazurike could crack the two-deep before the regular season.
In limited action as a rookie, the former fourth-round draft pick and All-Big 12 selection out of Iowa State showed he could make plays. In just 8 games in 2022, he had 17 tackles, including 2 QB hits and 1 pass deflection.
Uwazurike’s suspension came after he’d gone through the Broncos’ offseason program in 2023 and appeared ready to compete for playing time.
“We were informed by the NFL today that Eyioma Uwazurike has been suspended by the league indefinitely for violating its gambling policy,” the Broncos said in a statement after the suspension was announced in July 2023. “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.”
Uwazurike’s suspension came amid a crackdown on gambling by the NFL in 2023 — he was the 10th player suspended that offseason, with seven of them receiving suspensions that lasted at least one season.
NFL’s Problems With Gambling Go Back Decades
The NFL’s battle against the influence of gambling on its sport goes back almost a century, when Chicago Cardinals quarterback Art Folz received a lifetime suspension after he fixed a game against the Milwaukee Badgers to ensure the Cardinals would win the 1925 NFL championship.
Perhaps the most famous gambling suspensions in NFL history came in 1963 when former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle suspended two of the game’s most popular young stars indefinitely after they were found to have bet on NFL games — Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras and Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung.
Both Karras and Hornung admitted their guilt and were reinstated after serving one-year suspensions. Upon his return in 1964, Karras famously refused to call a coin flip before a game in 1964, telling the official: “I’m sorry sir, I’m not permitted to gamble.”
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Broncos DE Reinstated After Yearlong Gambling Suspension