An NFL quarterback left fans bewildered when he abruptly took a knee during a game — was ‘predatory capitalism’ behind it?

“I’m trying to help support the Bhayshul Tuten fantasy people out there,” he said to CBS.

For many people, fantasy sports take the form of friendly leagues played with friends over an entire sports season. But for some — especially people who take part in Daily Fantasy Sports, or DFS — their fantasy sports teams have real money riding on them.

The stakes are much higher for people who stand to lose cash because Lawrence took a knee.

Here’s why people were unhappy with Lawrence’s statement — and what it says about sports gambling as a whole.

If he was serious, Lawrence’s decision would likely be illegal

You might already be aware of match fixing, where a player intentionally changes the outcome of a game in order to either win a bet themselves or help another person win a bet. Match fixing is illegal, as are other forms of game manipulation.

But a player doesn’t have to totally throw a game in order to engage in game manipulation. Just like gamblers are able to spot bet on individual aspects of a game — like how many touchdowns a player might score — athletes are able to engage in spot fixing, where they intentionally change minor parts of a game in order to facilitate gambling.

If Lawrence did, indeed, take a knee to help people with their fantasy bets, that would be illegal. But it’s more likely that the player was joking — especially as he gave another reason for the play right before the joke.

“I mean, hindsight, I probably just shoulda scored because we scored the very next play,” Lawrence said to CBS. “Trying to run the clock down a little bit.”

In a press conference after the game, Lawrence again said that he was making the play to pass time, although he also admitted it was overkill to do so when there were still eight minutes left on the clock.

“Trying to give them as few chances as possible to get back in the game,” Lawrence said. “If you get into the analytics, people will probably be all over it online I’m sure.”

If he was intentionally trying to spot fix, it would be a monumentally bad decision to admit that on camera. It’s more likely that he made a strange play and cracked a joke about it after.

Sports gambling is bigger than ever — and it’s causing people to get in serious debt

Still, it makes sense why people would be leery.

Sports betting has had a huge comeback since a 2018 Supreme Court decision allowed states to start legalizing the practice. Recently, the NFL even announced official partnerships with three of the biggest sports betting companies.

The New York Federal Reserve has found this has a negative impact on the people who participate, saying that credit scores decline and delinquency rates rise in areas where sports betting is legal.