Getty Duke Williams celebrates a first down in a Buffalo Bills game.
A former Buffalo Bills wide receiver could be facing trouble after getting into an on-field fight before a CFL game that ended with him swinging a helmet at an opponent.
Duke Williams, who played for the Bills for two seasons, returned to the Canadian Football League this season and got into a fight before the opening kickoff of the 2022 Touchdown Atlantic game. Williams could now face discipline for the incident.
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Williams Tosses Helmet in Dust-Up
As TSN reported, the incident took place before the July 16 game between the Toronto Argonauts and Williams’ Saskatchewan Roughriders. Video showed Williams getting into an argument with Argonauts defensive back Shaq Richardson, then throwing Richardson’s helmet back at him.
Williams was also accused of spitting in Richardson’s face during the incident.
The report noted that neither player was flagged for the incident and both went on the play in the game, but there could still be more trouble ahead. Argonauts reporter Ben Grant noted that a suspension was likely coming for the fight, especially since it took place outside of the game itself.
I don’t know how this started, but you have to think a suspension is coming. This is not what the league wanted to see in pregame warmup.
Williams’ actions also weren’t sitting well with a number of players. TSN reporter Matthew Scianitti noted that many had reached out to him to say Williams should not have been allowed to play in the game.
“Current and former players have reached out to express feelings about Duke Williams throwing a helmet at Shaq Richardson,” Scianitti tweeted. “All were unhappy Williams wasn’t ejected.”
Williams had no troubles with the Bills, and seemed to have a good reputation with teammates prior to Saturday’s incident. Earlier in the season, Williams had earned praise from Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo for how he played through injuries and helped will the team to victory.
“He gritted through another one. I walked into halftime and saw him with some ice on his hip and was nervous that here we go again, we lost another one of our top receivers,” Fajardo said after a game. “He came out after halftime and got the crowd involved. It definitely excited our offence and it’s always good to see one of your best players out there with you.”
Williams Had Uneven Stint With the Bills
Williams had already established himself as a star in the CFL by the time he joined the Bills. He led the Canadian league in receiving yards in 2019, then joined the Bills the next season and had a strong start to his career, catching a game-winning touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.
Many fans called for the team to give Williams a bigger role in the offense, as his 6-foot-4 frame gave him more size than the otherwise diminutive receiving corps. Williams went on to start the team’s playoff game against the Houston Texans that year. But Williams was also left off the gameday roster for the majority of the season, and ended the year with just 12 catches for 166 yards and one touchdown.
For your viewing pleasure:
Duke Williams’ (@YFBurnna_cmh) first career touchdown and celebration as the #Bills improve to 4-1 on the season
Williams was back with the Bills in 2020 but appeared in just one game, with no targets. After a rocky preseason in 2021 where he played a total of 51 offensive snaps and caught one of his six targets for a total of 8 yards, Williams was released by the Bills.
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