CENTENNIAL, Colo. — The NFL has reinstated Eyioma Uwazurike following his 54-week gambling suspension and the defense end has been activated on the Broncos' roster.
“I am grateful to the Denver Broncos and the National Football League for giving me the opportunity to resume my NFL career,'' Uwazurike said in a statement. "I’ve learned from this situation and taken steps to ensure it will never happen again.
"It is a privilege to play in the NFL, and I hope others can learn from my mistake. I will not take this second chance for granted and am fully committed to making a positive impact with the Broncos both on and off the field.”
A fourth-round draft pick of the Broncos in 2022, Uwazurike had been suspended indefinitely for violating the league’s gambling policy during his rookie season. He was first eligible to petition for reinstatement on July 24, but the league wanted to wait until the state of Colorado and Arapahoe County District Attorney reviewed his gambling activity for possible criminal offenses.
For the legal matter, Uwazurike retained Harvey Steinberg, the Denver-based attorney for so many Denver professional athletes. When local authorities ended their review of Uwazurike last week without pressing charges, it cleared the way for the NFL to review his possible reinstatement.
In the past three years, the NFL has suspended roughly a dozen players for gambling and not all of them were welcomed back to their team when their football sentence was served. If this were baseball, Uwazurike would be suspended for life for placing bets not only on his sport but his own team. So what was it about Uwazurike for the Broncos to forgive, if not necessarily forget, what he's done enough to bring him back?
"He's young player we drafted and look, he's handled this well, he took full responsibility for it,'' said Broncos head coach Sean Payton. "We're in this period of time where there's a lot of mistakes being made relative to the gambling and gambling policy.
"The league and communication they provided with him we're grateful for. Ownership here ... he was out a year. And so our job here is we're slow to get him ready back because he's missed quite a bit. But he was very remorseful and I think that played a big part of it. I think he understands certainly the mistake he made and he's really appreciative to be back here with his team.''
Uwazurike joined the Broncos’ training camp practice Monday about 20 minutes late as he first had to pass his physical following his prolonged absence. A source said Uwazurike received word over the weekend he would be cleared by the NFL. He reported to the Broncos' facility for his physical Monday morning, then went to the side field for conditioning.
To make room for Uwazurike on their 90-man roster, the Broncos will waive safety Caden Sterns unless the team can work out a trade for him by the 2 p.m. daily transaction deadline.
Uwazurike, 26, was initially found by Iowa and NFL investigations to have placed hundreds of bets on a FanDuel phone app while trying to disguise his identity. Included in his activity were 32 wagers placed on five Broncos’ games in the 2022 season.
During his suspension Uwazurike was not allowed at the Broncos’ facilities although he was able to stay in contact with certain team officials. According to sources close to him, Uwazurike has attended gamblers’ anonymous meetings and counseling sessions while also did what he could to stay in football shape.
Tall by NFL defensive tackle standards at 6-foot-6, Uwazurike was inactive the first half of his rookie year before eventually playing in eight games. The highlight of his rookie season was blocking a field goal attempt at the end of the half against Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.
Now that Uwazurike is reinstated, his service time expected to be tolled, which would officially make him a second-year player in 2024. Considering he missed a full season and is rejoining the Broncos late in the Broncos' offseason, it wouldn't hurt if he could start the season on the practice squad although the problem there is he would have to first clear waivers.
