The Detroit Lions have released wide receiver Stanley Berryhill after he received a six-game suspension last month for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. This makes him the third of four players to be cut by the team following such a suspension.
The other players, Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore, and Shaka Toney, were given indefinite suspensions, while Berryhill received a lighter punishment. Jameson Williams, another violator of the gambling policy, is still on the Lions’ roster as he was a 2022 first-round pick.
Berryhill joined the Lions last year as an undrafted free agent and played in just four games with only six offensive snaps. His release comes as the team is gearing up for the 2023 season and trying to build a strong supporting cast for Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2022.
In addition to the players who received gambling suspensions, the Lions have also fired three staff members and unspecified league employees for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
The league has been cracking down on such violations in recent years, with seven players, including Berryhill, receiving bans since 2019.
Despite the setbacks, the Lions are hopeful that they can build a strong team for the upcoming season. They recently reunited with former Lion Marvin Jones and drafted Antoine Green from North Carolina in the seventh round.
They will also be relying on Kalif Raymond, Tom Kennedy, Trinity Benson, and UDFA Maurice Alexander to provide support for St. Brown.