The NFL handed down an indefinite suspension to Denver Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike last year for breaking the league’s gambling policy.
In addition to the NFL’s suspension, Uwazurike also faced potential legal repercussions. On Friday, the criminal charges were dropped due to the investigation “exceeding [the] scope of permitted use of tracking software,” according to the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson.
The criminal charges have been dropped, but Uwazurike remains suspended and away from the team. Broncos coach Sean Payton criticized the NFL’s stipulations for suspended players last summer.
“[W]e’re going to send them home for a year, where they can’t be around,” Payton said in an interview with USA TODAY‘s Jarrett Bell last July. “The idea that you just go away — shame on us.”
Uwazurike will be eligible to petition for reinstatement on July 24. There’s no guarantee the NFL will grant a reinstatement, but the criminal charges being dropped could, in theory, make Uwazurike more likely to return in 2024.
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