Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams could be headed to his second NFL suspension in the last two seasons.
ESPN’s Eric Woodyard reported on Oct. 21 that the speedy wide receiver is facing a two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. Though there were not yet details about what led to the ban, Williams appeared to confirm his suspension in comments to ESPN.
Williams told the outlet that he was disappointed but had “no choice but to take it on the chin.”
“I’m in good spirits just ready to get back with [my] brothers ASAP,” Williams told ESPN.
Costly Setback for the Lions
The Lions would lose Williams for a key stretch of games, including a divisional game against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 3. The Lions moved to 5-1 with a win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, putting them atop the NFC North.
Williams has grown into the role of No. 2 receiver after the departure of Josh Reynolds last offseason, making 17 catches for 361 yards and three touchdowns.
The former Alabama wideout has had a bumpy start to his NFL career, missing the majority of his rookie season while rehabbing a torn ACL. Williams was suspended for the first six games of his second season for violating the league’s gambling policy, but the ban was eventually reduced to four games when the league introduced new policies regarding gambling.
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Jameson Williams Had Earned Praise for His Growth
Despite the suspension last season, Williams had earned some praise from the team’s brass last offseason for his work ethic and growth off the field. General manager Brad Holmes said in August that there were some pre-draft concerns about Williams’ maturity, but he made significant strides in growing up.
“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, via SI.com’s John Maakaron.
Holmes added that the rookie-year injury and gambling suspension were a “blessing in disguise” for Williams, who used the time away from the team to work on his game and himself.
“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 added that Williams was eager to learn from the team’s other veterans, including All-Pro wide 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.”
