Patriots' Jonathan Jones takes issue with NFL's gambling policy

BOSTON -- The NFL handed down some serious punishments on Thursday, suspending three players for the 2023 season for gambling on NFL games, and suspending another player six games for betting on a non-NFL event while he was in his team's facility.

Clearly, with the integrity of the game at stake along with millions of dollars being gambled on games, the NFL can't afford to be lenient when it comes to players gambling on sports. That was clear last year with Calvin Ridley, and it's now been made clear once again with Isaiah Rodgers, Rashod Berry, Demetrius Taylor, and Nicholas Petit-Frere.

Yet while such a stance may make some logical sense, Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones doesn't agree with the NFL's stance on sports gambling -- even when it comes to NFL players gambling on NFL games.

"I understand rules are rules," Jones tweeted, "but I can risk my life so that my team wins but I can't risk 1k on my team winning." Jones added a shrug to accentuate his point.

When one Twitter user pointed out that players gambling on games could open the door to players losing on purpose, Jones replied, "You could limit bets to be only for your team's benefits."

Another Twitter user said that players are free to bet on other sports if they really want to bet. Jones replied, "I don't bet on sports the [return on investment] isn't that great. I'm only arguing logic."

(Jones didn't add the fact that the NFL seems to have sponsorship deals with just about every sportsbook in America, including in-stadium advertisements that the players see every day while at work, though that reality could have helped in the logical argument at play.)

Jones also downplayed the chances of players losing on purpose, noting that jobs in the NFL are often taken away as soon as a player fails to perform.

"If you don't give maximum effort you lose [your] job more than any bet," Jones tweeted. "This isn't boxing you can't get 92 players on a Sunday to not show maximum effort."

It's an interesting thought exercise presented by Jones, an eight-year NFL veteran. But when it comes to this particular issue, the NFL simply cannot afford to participate.