Philly native Shaka Toney among 5 NFL players suspended for gambling policy violations

Toney, a defensive end for the Commanders, can petition for reinstatement after the 2023 season.

Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney, a Philadelphia native, has been suspended indefinitely.Read morePatrick Semansky / AP

Published April 21, 2023, 11:53 a.m. ET

Five NFL players have been caught breaking the league’s gambling rules, the league announced Friday, including Philadelphia native and Penn State grad Shaka Toney.

Now a defensive end with the Washington Commanders, Toney is one of three players suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games last season. The other two are Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore.

The NFL said those players “may petition for reinstatement at the conclusion of the 2023 season.”

Two other Lions wide receivers, Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams, were suspended for the first six games of the 2023 regular season. The NFL said they can take part in “all offseason and preseason activities, including preseason games,” and their suspensions officially will start after the final roster cutdown.

“We have been made aware of the suspension of Shaka Toney,” the Commanders said in a statement. “We have cooperated fully with the NFL’s investigation since receiving notice and support the league’s findings and actions. All further questions on the topic should be directed to the NFL league office.”

After the NFL’s announcement, the Lions said they released Cephus and Moore.

”These players exhibited decision making that is not consistent with our organizational values and violates league rules,” the team’s executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes said in a statement.

Holmes also said the team is “disappointed by the decision making demonstrated by Stanley and Jameson and will work with both players to ensure they understand the severity of these violations and have clarity on the league rules moving forward.”