Steelers' Mike Tomlin Sent A Clear Message To The Team About Gambling In 2023 According To Cam Heyward

The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to the world of gambling. Art Rooney was famously rumored to have paid the team’s expenses with winnings from a horse race one season. The NFL has always been tacitly in bed with gambling interests. Jimmy The Greek was featured prominently in the 1970s to discuss gambling on the NFL weekly when the league was exploding in popularity. It has only become more prominent in the years since with the rise of fantasy football and legalized sports gambling in many states.

Up until now, the Steelers players have not been mentioned as the target of an ongoing NFL investigation into gambling at the teams’ facilities. The Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward and the team’s elder statesmen was speaking with the media and 93.7 The Fan aired his quote about the instructions Mike Tomlin had for his players surrounding the current gambling rules during The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller.

“Mike T addressed it already,” Heyward said. “Pretty straightforward, don’t bet on games. You try to keep it competitive; I hate to think somebody is shaving off points to cover the under or the over. I don’t like betting as it is, I don’t even understand half of it at times.”  

The NFL rules change so often that players can get confused. Currently, you are not supposed to bet on any league games or engage in gambling at the team’s facilities. The league suspended the now Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley for a year last season for betting $1,500 on a game he was not participating in due to injury.

Steelers Gain An Early Advantage In Week 15 Thanks To NFL Gambling Probe

The message seemed clear, but so far this season, three players have been suspended indefinitely and rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams will lose another six games in his short NFL career. On Monday, news broke that Indianapolis Colts CB Isaiah Rodgers might be the next player to lose his livelihood. SteelerNation’s own Christopher Barbre discussed how the loss of Rodgers as a returner could affect the Colts when they play the Steelers in Week 15.

Players in the NFL have large incomes and they are extremely competitive. This is not the 1960s when the NFL had to worry that players with relatively small incomes would be tempted by gamblers to affect games. Two of the league's biggest stars, Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were suspended for a full season to send a clear message. A player could get over his head in 2023, but it would be more likely to be out of greed than necessity. The amount of money that a player would have to bet to get into serious trouble financially would attract significant attention.

Fans who can now sit in many NFL stadiums and bet on outcomes almost by the minute with the blessing of the NFL have celebrated the legalized ability to wager. Players are only human, and an NFL player can go to an NBA game or a Major League Baseball game and they can bet to their heart’s content with no repercussion. They are even allowed to bet on NCAA football games, which seems to be counterintuitive and confusing.

If the concern is that betting on NFL games could allow them to exploit inside information, why are they allowed to bet on college games? Is there a rule that they cannot bet on their alma mater or their collegiate conference games? It would be very easy for a former player who is looked up to as a role model to simply ask someone on the current team about what the chances are on Saturday against a big rival.

The major sports leagues and especially the NFL, which is the most popular professional sport in America, have a real conundrum. The leagues could handle the situation with technology, but it isn’t a perfect solution. A location tracker that would prohibit players from betting at NFL stadiums would also prevent fans from doing so and the NFL has made it perfectly clear that gambling is a priority.

The league that pretends to care so much about protecting the shield is just covering their rear end. The NFL and Roger Goodell have made no secret through ridiculous rule changes that are designed to increase scoring. They seem intent on rewarding the teams that make fans the most money on overs and fantasy football with playoff berths and championship rings. Defense doesn't impress nitwit radio personalities or win fantasy football leagues and drive in-game action like a 38-35 shootout in the Super Bowl. 

Steelers fans can take some comfort in the presence of Tomlin. The message to the Steelers players is clear and he is an excellent communicator. Hopefully, Pittsburgh can avoid a key player losing a year for betting on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the locker room.

What do you think, Steeler Nation?  How would you handle gambling in professional sports? Please comment below, or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.