Real Reason Why Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce Could Easily Get Away With Betting

Just a month back, the NFL took severe action against four players for betting accusations. While the NFL has continued with its outright condemnation of acts concerning professional athletes indulging in betting, there appear to be a few loopholes in the system. And who better to exploit it than the Kansas City Chiefs’ QB-TE tandem?

A couple of days back, the Kansas City Chiefs star duo, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce took on the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The 2023 iteration of Capital One’s golf showdown came across as an optimum opportunity for NFL athletes to put on their betting hats, the only concern was the consequences that could follow. But as recent events have enlightened us, the NFL will overlook the lofty bets made on the golf course, and the reasoning is simply fascinating.

Why were Mahomes-Kelce allowed to partake in betting?

The NFL betting policy dates back decades. It was in 1963 that we saw the first NFL athlete suspended for making bets and since then the landscape has never been the same. Defensive tackle for the Lions, Alex Karras, was sidelined for an entire season as the then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of NFL players betting on games.

Since then, NFL players have been directed to stray away from betting avenues, especially if the NFL is concerned. But that didn’t appear to be the case with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Even Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green made open comments about his ongoing side hustle with Von Miller of the Buffalo Bills.

Turns out that the NFL has a very specific set of rules in place. First, the players are barred from betting on any and every NFL event, whether it’s during the season or pertaining to the NFL combine. Secondly, awards(for example MVPs) and Pro Bowl games are also a no-go.

But non-NFL events are just an opportunity for players to wager a lumpsum amount of money, and the Capital One showdown falls under that very category. Since the NFL wasn’t exactly presenting the event in any way, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are in the clear. And the NFL informed Pro Football Talk of the same.

Laws to uphold

Despite Mahomes and Kelce being exempted from any consequences, the NFL is still adamant on maintain competitive integrity, and betting stands at the forefront of it. All NFL personnel are prohibited from not only making bets on the game but also must refrain from having acquaintances in that industry.

The policy clearly states, “All NFL Personnel are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet, whether directly or indirectly through a third-party, on any NFL game, practice or other event. This includes betting on game outcome, statistics, score, the performance of any individual participant, or any other kind of ‘proposition bet’ on which wagering is offered.”

However, reading the NFL’s gambling policy does bring up a few questions. One of the comments on the Twitter thread shared by ML Football read, “Easy for the NFL to hand out suspensions now when it’s 3rd string defensive backs. We’ll see if they follow through when it’s a league star. I’m guessing that’s why there’s so much grey area, so they can go easy on the big names,” and it did make me wonder where the league stands on players partnering up with betting websites. Whether it’s players promoting these betting avenues on their respective podcasts or simply acting as their henchmen, the rules are still not clear surrounding the wide array of possibilities, and hopefully, this all will be addressed sometime in the future.