Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike is eligible to apply for reinstatement from his indefinite gambling suspension on July 24. However, Mike Klis of 9News in Denver passes along a wrinkle that may delay Uwazurike’s return.
The Colorado Department of Revenue is looking into whether Uwazurike violated any state gambling laws. While Klis notes that no charges have been filed, he does report that the state has teamed with Arapahoe County for a criminal investigation against Uwazurike. The Story County (Iowa) Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against the athlete last year.
The Iowa State product made approximately 801 wagers in the years prior to his suspension, including bets that featured the Cyclones and the Broncos. Klis passes along that the initial gambling allegations from Iowa were “suppressed and dismissed,” with attorneys successfully arguing that the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation violated constitutional rights when using geolocation software to collect incriminating information.
That factor bodes well for Uwazurike’s chances of overcoming this latest investigation in Colorado. Attorney Harvey Steinberg told Klis that the state will have difficulties prosecuting the player following the Iowa dismissal.
“Iowa court suppressed all evidence seized, finding it was taken illegally,’’ Steinberg said. “That ruling is binding on the Colorado courts and the Colorado prosecutors. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to attempt to prosecute a case here when all the charges were dismissed in Iowa as result of that ruling.”
While Uwazurike may avoid legal consequences, it won’t necessarily speed up his return to the NFL. Per Klis, the NFL is “waiting until state and local authorities conclude their review” before considering reinstatement. So, while Uwazurike can apply for reinstatement in a few weeks, he may not be immediately granted his return. Players are set to attend Denver’s training camp on July 23, right before Uwazurike’s first potential day of reinstatement.
The Broncos used Uwazurike as a backup D-lineman in eight games in 2022; he got into 165 defensive snaps. Even with the lack of production, the organization (including coach Sean Payton, who didn’t even get to coach Uwazurike during the 2023 campaign) has continued to support the former fourth-round pick. A source told Klis that the 26-year-old “has shown contrition and a willingness to change” by attending therapy and gambler’s anonymous meetings. It sounds like Denver is at least willing to give him a chance to rehabilitate his career, even if it ends up with the defensive lineman temporarily landing on the practice squad.
I’m sure taxpayers in Colorado are delighted their hard earned dollars are being wasted on investigating a guy who bet on the Broncos rather than going after the hard core felons.
People always say this, and I do get the relative difference in severity between this, and, say, donestic violence, but laws are laws. The definition of a “real” criminal differs from person to person. Picking and choosing which laws to enforce leads to a completely unreliable legal system entirely. It IS part of these investigatos’ jobs, after all. Given the offense, these investigators may specialize in this foeld as is.
As for opinions of voters, I’d wager that there would be others are equally offended that a player would be allowed to bet on games for a team or sport that he is an active member of. Getting off on an evidence collection violation, and not necessarily the actual circumstances of the case, may incense those people more. Perhaps some of his fellow gamblers, who the NFL oddly sometimes holds in high regard, would be offended…just for consideration.
In any case, the court may be bound by the exclusionary rule, but the NFL isn’t. If it’s found that Uwazurike violated the NFL’s house rules on gambling, they can levy their own discipline however they wish to.
“Picking and choosing which laws to enforce leads to a completely unreliable legal system entirely”.
I don’t think the “by the book” cops are necessarily the best. Even sheriff Andy of Mayberry was known to use discretion and let some legal violations slide. Otis the town drunk was the primary beneficiary of that policy as he often liked to sleep off his drinking binges in the county jail with Andy’s approval.
One or two bets could probably slide. 801 is quite a few. No disrespect meant to Andy Griffith. Or Otis.