What to expect from Lions' Jameson Williams after two-game suspension

The Lions are getting Jameson Williams back from a two-game suspension and there's reason to believe he'll come back with a force.

The Detroit Lions have an extremely talented receiver on their hands in third-year player Jameson Williams out of Alabama. There's a reason the Lions drafted Williams with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, even though he was injured. They believe he can be a game-changer, and when he's on the field, that's proven true.

The problem for both Williams and the Lions is that getting him onto the field has proven to be a problem. In 2022, his rookie year, it was no fault of his own. He suffered a torn ACL in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Georgia. As mentioned, the Lions still drafted him early based on his potential, but he spent most of his rookie season on the injury list.

In 2023, Williams was suspended for violating the NFL's gambling policy. It was a six-game suspension for betting on college games while in the Lions' practice facility. He played in just 12 games in 2023, catching 24 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns.

The 2024 season was supposed to be Williams' breakout season, and for the first six games of the season, Williams appeared to be on track. He caught 30 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns in the first six games, averaging 21.2 yards per catch in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's explosive offense.

And then, Williams was hit with another suspension, this time for breaking the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy. He's missed the past two weeks — wins over the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers — and now the Lions are itching to get him back into the swing of things.

“He's been here. So, he couldn't be out there in practice, but he was here training, we had him running, he's in the meetings … all of that. So, he's been here and, honestly, throwing him back in there. I mean, he's going. Let's go,” head coach Dan Campbell said on Monday, according to ESPN. “So, we're gonna kick him out there with the offense and get him going. I expect him to be ready to roll.”

Jameson Williams will hit the ground running for the Lions

There's no reason to anticipate that Williams will need much time, if any, to get back into the swing of the Lions' offense. As Campbell mentioned, he's been training and in meetings. He should be locked into the game plan, and he should be physically in shape, and an athlete like him won't need much time to transition to getting back up to game speed. Frankly, it should take a play or two, if even that.

Second, and most important for the Lions as they look to lock up the NFC North and potentially the top seed in the NFL over the second half of the season, Williams should immediately be a huge part of their offense.

Amon-Ra St. Brown is as consistent as they come, and he's a tremendous Pro Bowl talent for quarterback Jared Goff to continue to feed via the air, but there's something that Williams brings to the table that even St. Brown doesn't. Williams has breakaway speed, and when it comes to being an over-the-top threat, there are few better in the NFL right now.

With David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs forcing defenses to focus on the Lions' backfield, Williams has the type of over-the-top speed that can make an already great offense even better. If Williams can stay on the field for the rest of the season, he's undoubtedly one of the main reasons the Lions are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

But can he stay on the field?

Health and getting banged up is one thing most NFL players can control only so much. If you get injured in a high-injury sport, there's only so much you can do.

But how about Williams' disposition toward getting in trouble off the field? He's already been suspended twice for off-field issues.

It's worth noting that Campbell feels this past suspension will be a valuable lesson for the young wideout.

“I think any time you don't get to play this game, I think you'll always reflect, and it helps you look at it (from) a different vantage point. It hurts, man, it hurts not to play,” Campbell said, according to John Maakaron of Sports Illustrated. “When you don't have anybody to blame but yourself, it makes you look at yourself a little bit harder. And so he'll be fine, I really believe that, and I do believe he'll learn from it. He was just out there at our walkthrough we had, man, he's locked in, ready to go. I think he's gonna come right out of this on top.”

If Williams is truly locked in…look out.