The NFL announced Friday that it has suspended Arizona Cardinals personnel executive Ryan Gold indefinitely after an investigation found he broke the league’s gambling policy.
According to the league, Gold shared confidential, non-public inside information about the Cardinals’ 2026 draft selections with outside parties before those picks were publicly announced. He also placed parlay bets on both NFL and college football games. The league did not identify who received the inside information from Gold.
In a statement, the NFL said: “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. 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 responded publicly, stating: “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.”
Gold is currently in his 13th season with the Cardinals organization. He was elevated to director of college scouting in June 2025, following three years as assistant director of college scouting from 2022 to 2024. Before that, he served four seasons as a college scouting coordinator from 2018 to 2021.
Gold retains the right to appeal his suspension.
The NFL maintains strict gambling rules for players and all club and league personnel, and has invested heavily in gambling education efforts, reaching more than 20,000 people connected to the league.
The league confirmed that the Cardinals cooperated fully with the investigation and said there is no evidence that any other member of the organization — including coaches or players — had any knowledge of or involvement in Gold’s actions. Officials also stated there is no indication that any game or play on the field was impacted.
The NFL’s review involved interviews with key individuals as well as a thorough examination of electronic records.
