Lions' Jameson Williams fined $19,697 after Jaguars game

Jameson Williams needs to get it together.

In one of the most iconic moments in NFL history, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch punctuated his “Beastquake” run by diving backward into the endzone and grabbing his crotch after running through (approximately) 37 players on the New Orleans Saints defense. In the Detroit Lions 52-6 Week 11 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, wide receiver Jameson Williams capped his own long touchdown with a tribute to Lynch, and now he's nearly 20 grand poorer after a big fine from the NFL.

“The NFL fined Lions WR Jameson Williams $19,697 for unsportsmanlike conduct (obscene gestures) — his, uh, tribute to Marshawn Lynch last week,” NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday.

The Marshawn Lynch celebration was during a different time and it also was on the end of arguably the greatest single run in NFL history. Williams' happened in 2024 and made the Lions -Jaguars game 35-6 on his team's way to a 46-point victory. It was not a smart play or a good look, but unfortunately, that's come to be expected from Williams.

Jameson Williams is awesome… when he plays

There is no question that Jameson Williams is one of the best and most exciting young pass-catchers in the NFL in 2024. In just eight games this season he has 24 catches for 538 yards and four touchdowns. He is one of the key weapons that makes Jared Goff and the Lions offense so dangerous this season.

However, Williams can't seem to stay on the field, for reasons both in and out of his control.

Coming into the league out of Alabama, Williams was limited to six games (and just one catch) as a rookie after tearing his ACL in the national championship game. That was out of his control. What was in his control was his four-game gambling suspension in 2023 and two-game performance-enhancing drug suspension in 2024.

Now, with this fine, it's easy to see Williams doing something dumb and getting kicked out of a game in a big moment because of his demonstrably poor decision-making. If he doesn't, though, and can stay on the field, the Lions have a truly special player.