Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 18
Saints Re-Sign Hunter Dekkers Despite 350-Plus Bets on Mother’s DraftKings Account
Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 18

Saints Re-Sign Hunter Dekkers Despite 350-Plus Bets on Mother’s DraftKings Account

3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 18

Summary

  • New Orleans brought back quarterback Hunter Dekkers this week, extending a pro career the NFL has not blocked despite his college gambling case.
  • More than 350 bets on his mother’s DraftKings account cost Dekkers the entire 2023 college season and his Iowa State eligibility after he wagered $15 on an Iowa State game he did not play in.
  • Dekkers later played at Iowa Western in 2024, went undrafted in 2025, spent most of that season with the Saints, and played for the UFL’s Houston Gamblers in 2026.
  • The case is now being cited as a precedent suggesting the NFL is unlikely to suspend quarterback Brendan Sorsby after the supplemental draft, much as it did not punish Kayshon Boutte or Dekkers.

Insights

With gambling ads everywhere, can the NFL still credibly punish its players for betting?
Is a player's gambling addiction a medical issue for treatment or an integrity violation for suspension?