NFL Investigating Las Vegas Arm Wrestling Event Involving Marshawn Lynch, Others

The NFL is investigating whether players who competed in The Pro Football Arm Wrestling Championship at the MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas broke league rules, ESPN.com's David Purdum reported Sunday.

Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison were among those who competed in the event.

Purdum noted NFL players and officials are prohibited from appearing at casinos in a promotional capacity.

In 2015, the National Fantasy Football Convention, headlined by now-former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, was canceled over concerns about prospective punishments for players who took part in the event. The convention was to take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.

According to Purdum, the arm wrestling championship began Wednesday and ends Sunday. It will air on the CBS Network in May, with the final airing in June.

"Had we been asked in advance if this was acceptable, we would have indicated that it was in direct violation of the gambling policy," said Joe Lockhart, the NFL's executive vice president for communications and public affairs, per USA Today's Jarrett Bell. "No one sought preapproval."

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