Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, who ranks second in the NFL with 21.2 yards per reception, was suspended by the league on Thursday for a violation of the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) policy.
He will miss the team’s Week 8 game on Sunday versus the Tennessee Titans, as well as a Week 9 contest against the divisional rival Green Bay Packers. Williams will be eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 4, which is the day after the Packers game.
The wideout acknowledged the suspension through his agent, Rocky Arceneaux, with a message on social media; however, he also expressed surprise at the violation considering how meticulous he is with what he puts into his body.
“I have nothing but love and respect for this game, my teammates, coaches, the Lions organization and the City of Detroit. It is disappointing to accept this suspension, and it will hurt me to be away from the team as they prepare this week. So out of respect to my teammates, this will be the last time I address this matter.”
In his third NFL season, Williams is a big reason for the team’s offensive success as no NFC team has a better record than Detroit at 5–1. The Lions rank second in the league in yards gained, third in points scored, and also third in passing offense. Williams ranks second on the team with 361 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns, while ranking third with 17 receptions.
The suspension comes just nine days after the team’s best defensive player, Aidan Hutchinson, was placed on injured reserve with a broken leg. Hutchinson and Williams were both first-round picks in 2022, with the former going second overall and the latter going 12th overall. The Lions traded up 20 spots from having the No. 32 pick in order to grab Williams, which cost them both a second and third-round pick in the process.
However, since being drafted, and even before, Williams has had a turbulent football career filled with various setbacks. While at Alabama in 2021, he led the SEC in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, but in his final collegiate game—which was in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship against Georgia—Williams tore his ACL.
That injury would sideline him into his first year in Detroit as he would miss the first 11 games of his pro career while recovering. He played in just six games in his rookie year and had only one reception, though it went 41 yards for a touchdown.
The receiver would end up playing 12 regular-season games after the suspension in 2023, serving in a complimentary role as the Lions would win their first division title in 30 years. In the postseason, however, Williams would show exactly why the Lions traded up to draft him 12th overall. In the NFC Championship Game versus the San Francisco 49ers, Williams accounted for half of the team’s offensive points in a 34–31 defeat. He had a 42-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter and then a three-yard receiving score in the final frame, finishing the game with 67 yards from scrimmage.
Detroit will have to manage without a critical part of its offense for the next two games, but Williams still has the backing of his head coach in Dan Campbell. A day before the suspension officially came down, Campbell talked about his belief in Williams as a person, and even with another setback, he believes the wideout will rebound, just as he has many times before.
“And over a year ago, he started climbing his way up and he got to us. And maybe he lost his grip, but he‘ll climb back up again. That rope’s still there. It’s tied to us, and he’ll be just fine, but he’s part of this team and I trust him.”
