The NFL has suspended Arizona Cardinals executive Ryan Gold indefinitely after an investigation found that he violated the league’s gambling policy by placing bets on NFL and college football games and sharing confidential draft information.
The suspension, which takes effect immediately, was announced by the league on Friday. Gold, who serves as the Cardinals’ director of college scouting, has the option to appeal the decision, according to the NFL.
The league said its investigation determined that Gold provided non-public information related to the Cardinals’ 2026 NFL Draft selections before those picks were announced. It also found that he participated in parlay bets involving football games.
“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 NFL said in a statement.
The league added that there was no evidence suggesting any NFL game was affected by Gold’s actions but stressed that violations of its gambling rules are treated seriously.
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“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 statement said.
Who is Ryan Gold?
Gold has spent 13 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and was promoted to director of college scouting in 2025. Before taking up the role, he served as the team’s assistant director of college scouting from 2022 to 2024 and worked as a college scouting coordinator between 2018 and 2021.
The NFL has not revealed how the investigation into Gold began or what specific draft information he shared. The league also did not disclose details about the bets involved.
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Gold’s suspension comes as the NFL continues to enforce strict gambling regulations among players, coaches and team employees following the rapid expansion of sports betting markets across the United States.
Cardinals back NFL decision
The Arizona Cardinals said they support the league’s action and described the incident as involving a single employee.
“The NFL’s policies and expectations for all employees are clear, comprehensive, and consistently communicated,” the team said in a statement. “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.”
Gold was part of the Cardinals’ scouting department during the 2026 NFL Draft, when the team selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick. Arizona made seven selections in the draft.
