NFL suspends Cardinals executive Ryan Gold indefinitely for violating league's gambling policy

The NFL suspended Arizona Cardinals director of college scouting Ryan Gold indefinitely for violating the league's gambling policy, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirms.

>After an investigation, the NFL alleged that Gold provided insider, non-public information regarding the team's 2026 draft picks to unnamed parties. The investigation found Gold revealed the information before the Cardinals announced their picks. Gold was also found to have placed parlay bets on NFL and college games.

>Gold's attorney denied the accusations and said in a statement to ESPN that his client will appeal the suspension.

>"Ryan Gold has been an outstanding NFL executive for over a decade," Gold's attorney, Mike Caspino, said. "The accusations made by the league regarding his participation in prohibited gambling activities are blatantly false. We have demanded an appeal, and we look forward to clearing his good name."

>Caspino said Gold could not have offered information on the draft picks because he had no knowledge of which prospects the Cardinals planned to select. Only team owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort were privy to that information, Caspino said. He also said Gold was not involved in the betting on games and rather that it was Gold's wife who placed weekly $10 wagers with a group of high school friends.

>The league released a statement, noting that it doesn't believe any game was affected by Gold's actions but that it takes violations of the gambling policy seriously.

>"The Gambling Policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, strictly prohibits anyone in the NFL from participating in or facilitating any form of sports gambling, and from providing third parties non-public information," the league said in a statement. "Although there is no reason to believe the integrity of any NFL game was affected, the League takes any violation of the Gambling Policy with the utmost seriousness."

>The Cardinals also issued a statement, explaining that the accusations only point to one employee and that the focus of the upcoming season remains top of mind.

>"The NFL's policies and expectations for all employees are clear, comprehensive, and consistently communicated. We fully support the league's decision in this matter, which involves a single employee. Our focus remains on preparing for the start of training camp next week and the 2026 season," the Cardinals statement said.

>In April's draft, the Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick, Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis in the second round, Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the third round, Southeastern Louisiana defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor in the fourth and Texas Tech wide receiver Reggie Virgil in the fifth round. Their last two draft picks of 2026 were Iowa linebacker Karson Sharar in the sixth and Mississippi offensive tackle Jayden Williams in the seventh round.

>According to Jones, this is the first public gambling-related punishment in the league since 2023.

>Gold is in his second season as director of college scouting and his 13th season overall with Arizona. He was promoted ahead of the 2025 season after serving as the assistant director of college scouting.

>The Cardinals open their regular season on Sept. 13 against the Chargers in L.A.