Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams may be facing his second NFL suspension in as many seasons.
On October 21, ESPN’s Eric Woodyard reported that the speedy receiver is facing a two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. Although the details behind the suspension are still unclear, Williams seemed to confirm the news in comments made to ESPN.
Williams expressed his disappointment but acknowledged that he had “no choice but to take it on the chin.”
“I’m in good spirits, just ready to get back with [my] brothers ASAP,” he told ESPN.
Costly Setback for the Lions
This suspension would force the Lions to play without Williams during a crucial stretch, including a divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers on November 3. The Lions improved to 5-1 after a victory over the Minnesota Vikings, keeping them atop the NFC North.
Williams has embraced his role as the team’s No. 2 receiver following Josh Reynolds’ departure last offseason, tallying 17 catches for 361 yards and three touchdowns so far this season.
The former Alabama standout has had a rocky start to his NFL career. He missed most of his rookie year while recovering from a torn ACL and was suspended for the first six games of his second season due to a violation of the league’s gambling policy. That suspension was later reduced to four games after the NFL updated its gambling rules.
Jameson Williams Earned Praise for His Growth
Despite his previous suspension, Williams had received praise from the Lions’ leadership last offseason for his work ethic and personal growth. In August, general manager Brad Holmes acknowledged that there were concerns about Williams’ maturity prior to the draft but noted that he had made significant strides.
“When we drafted him, we said, ‘He’s going to need to grow up a little bit.’ And he did, so it’s been right on pace,” Holmes said, according to SI.com’s John Maakaron.
Holmes added that the injury in his rookie season and the gambling suspension turned out to be a “blessing in disguise” for Williams, allowing him to focus on both his development as a player and a person.
“I think those first two years, we knew that he was going to be recovering from his injury that first year, so we knew that,” Holmes said. “But then, he had another hurdle the second year, but those two years, he showed tremendous growth. Showed tremendous growth as a person and a player, and so I see it as, actually it’s been a good thing because now he’s out there and you can clearly see the maturation in his game. And, it’s just been a joy to see this year.”
Holmes also pointed out Williams’ eagerness to learn from veteran teammates like All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
“You can clearly tell he’s put the work in and he’s been working even harder,” Holmes said. “It means something to him. This kid loves football. I mean, he loves football, and I think it’s very evident in the results that you saw this training camp that the work that he’s put in.”
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