NFL suspends Cardinals executive Ryan Gold over gambling policy breach
The league maintains that game integrity was not compromised, while the player’s legal team denies involvement and prepares to appeal the decision.
The National Football League has indefinitely suspended Ryan Gold, the Arizona Cardinals’ director of college scouting, for breaching the organisation’s gambling policy. The decision follows an investigation that alleged Gold provided non-public information regarding the team’s 2026 draft selections to unnamed third parties before the club’s official announcements.
According to the league, the investigation also found that Gold placed parlay bets on both NFL and college games. The NFL’s Gambling Policy strictly prohibits personnel from participating in or facilitating sports gambling and from sharing non-public information with external parties. The league emphasised that while it does not believe any game integrity was compromised, it treats such violations with the utmost seriousness.
Gold’s attorney, Mike Caspino, has categorically denied the allegations and confirmed that the executive intends to appeal the suspension. Caspino stated that Gold had no knowledge of the draft selections, asserting that only team owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort were privy to that information. The legal representative further claimed that Gold was not involved in any betting activities, alleging instead that his wife placed weekly $10 wagers with high school friends.
The Arizona Cardinals issued a statement supporting the league’s decision, noting that the matter involves a single employee. The club reaffirmed that its focus remains on preparing for training camp and the upcoming season, which is scheduled to open on 13 September against the Los Angeles Chargers. The team highlighted that its policies are clearly communicated to all staff and consistently enforced.
This marks the first public gambling-related punishment in the league since 2023. Gold is in his second season as director of college scouting and his 13th season overall with the organisation. He was promoted ahead of the 2025 season after serving as the assistant director of college scouting.
