Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has already aired his grievances with the NFL’s gambling policy. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he was none too pleased when the latest crackdown came at the expense of one of his players, second-year defensive lineman Eyioma Uwarzurike.
Uwarzurike was suspended indefinitely on Monday for betting on NFL games last season.
Payton has previously called out the NFL’s gambling policy. And believes that the league ought to look at itself in the mirror. Whether he agrees with it or not, he’s not excusing Uwarzurike’s action, rather he’s calling out the NFL because he feels they are also not blameless in this scenario.
“If you’re a teacher and half your class get a D, you better look at yourself,” Payton said last month. “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].”
Just a few weeks later, Payton is singing a similar tune. And he again ripped the policy apart during an interview with USA Today Sports on Tuesday.
“When you have a bunch of players getting D’s, you have to start looking at the message,” Payton said. “And we’ve had a lot of D’s in our league this year with this policy.”
Uwarzurike is one of those players who received a “D.”
Payton was reminded that the 25-year-old Uwarzurike is the 10th NFL player since April to be suspended for gambling activity. “Shame on us,” he replied.
“And we’re going to send them home for a year, where they can’t be around. The idea that you just go away, shame on us.”
Payton called the NFL’s teaching materials on the gambling policy “awful” and told USA Today that he essentially ripped up what was sent to him by the league. Payton said that Broncos had to create their own resource materials because the NFL’s was way too complex and confusing. He’s obviously instructed his players that betting on football is a huge no-no, something that won’t be tolerated inside the Broncos facilities going forward.
At the same time, Payton wants those to understand that the NFL should be criticized for its handling of the policy, not the policy itself. So, it would not be exactly surprising if we see Payton continue to hammer home these points until something changes. And he may be waiting awhile.
[Pro Football Talk via USA Today Sports]
