In a significant development within the National Football League, Ryan Gold, the Arizona Cardinals' director of college scouting, has been suspended indefinitely for violating the league's sports betting policy. The NFL announced the suspension last Friday, revealing that an investigation concluded Gold leaked confidential information regarding the Cardinals' 2026 NFL Draft selections.
Mike Caspino, Gold's attorney, has strongly refuted these allegations, calling them “blatantly false.” The NFL has not disclosed the identity of the person who allegedly received the insider information. It remains uncertain whether that individual or anyone connected to them acted on the information for betting purposes.
“We have demanded an appeal, and we look forward to clearing his good name,” Caspino told ESPN.
In response to recent roster changes, the Cardinals have been actively reshaping their offensive lineup, especially after releasing veteran quarterback Kyler Murray. In the draft, Arizona chose Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick and added quarterback Carson Beck, who might serve as a replacement for Murray. They also acquired offensive lineman Chase Bisontis in the second round and wide receiver Reggie Virgil later on.
Two days prior to the draft, BetMGM listed odds of +225 for Love to be selected third, making him one of the top prospects. Caspino argues that Gold was not privy to the Cardinals’ specific draft decisions, as only owner Michael Bidwill and General Manager Monti Ossenfort were aware of them. Love participated in FanaticsFest over the weekend but could not be reached for comments regarding the draft.
As for the betting allegations, Caspino stated that Gold’s wife engaged in $10 weekly parlays with her friends but maintained that Gold himself did not partake in any betting activities. The NFL reiterated that its gambling policy strictly forbids all personnel from sharing nonpublic information related to betting.
“Although there is no reason to believe the integrity of any NFL game was affected, the league takes any violation of the gambling policy with the utmost seriousness,” the NFL noted in its statement.
Gold’s suspension coincides with comments from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who recently expressed the potential for a coalition among different professional leagues to set standards for sports integrity. This comes as multiple figures in various leagues face felony charges linked to match-fixing and betting manipulation. The NFL has not yet commented on the idea of a coalition.
In 2023 alone, the NFL has issued ten gambling-related suspensions, including a significant one-year ban to former Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who admitted to placing bets from the locker room, including a substantial wager on teammate Jonathan Taylor’s statistics. Rodgers has since been reinstated and is now with the Minnesota Vikings, while other players from teams like the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, and Washington Commanders have also faced suspensions due to similar violations.
Currently, leagues like the NHL, MLB, and MLS have entered commercial partnerships with prediction markets, while the NFL and NBA have yet to establish an official agreement with the US Commodities Futures Trading Commission. Recent scandals surrounding sports betting have been a topic of discussion in related hearings, further underlining the pressing issues within the industry.
With Gold entering his 13th season with the Cardinals and having served as head of college scouting since 2025, the team is set to begin training camp on Wednesday.
