Lions’ Dan Campbell Pulls Back Curtain on Plan for WR Jameson Williams

Getty Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talked to reporters on October 2 about the team's plan to integrate wide receiver Jameson Williams back into the offense.

The Detroit Lions sit at eighth in passing yards through the first four games of the 2023 NFL season, and now, they will get back former first-round wide receiver Jameson Williams.

The NFL suspended Williams the first six games of the 2023 season because of a gambling violation. However, on September 29, the league reduced Williams’ suspension to four games, giving him the opportunity to return in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers.

While Lions fans expect the team to receive a big boost with Williams’ return, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell provided modest expectations for the second-year receiver.

“We just gotta see where he’s at with football, and this will be his first week back, so we’ll take it every day,” Campbell told reporters. “See how he does.

“We’ll see where it goes. It’s all about improvement, no different than the rest of the team. Every week, we just got to get a little bit better. He just needs to get a little bit better, and we’ll take it from there.”

Williams had 1 catch in six games as a rookie last year, but the reception went for a 41-yard touchdown.

Lions’ Plan to Integrate Jameson Williams Back Into Offense

Campbell stressed on October 2 that the Lions offense is a unit where “everybody has a job to do” with the skilled players stepping up when their “number” is called. By no means do the Lions need or expect Williams to come in and carry the offense.

But in a perfect world, Williams will become one of skilled players the Lions depend on for consistent production.

For now, though, Campbell is focused on Williams simply working hard to just get better.

“We’ll see where it goes. It’s all about improvement, no different than the rest of the team,” Campbell said. “Every week, we just got to get a little bit better. He just needs to get a little bit better, and we’ll take it from there.”

Campbell added that the offense can’t ask Williams to play a big bulk of the team’s snaps right away.

“We also know if he does play, he can’t play 60 plays. That’s not smart. We can’t do that to him.”

Last season, Williams never played more than 18 offensive snaps.

Amon-Ra St. Brown leads the Lions with 247 offensive snaps this season. That’s been 87.9% of the team’s offensive snaps through four weeks.

Josh Reynolds is the only other Detroit receiver who has played at least 44% of the team’s snaps this year.

Campbell’s Expectations for Williams

During his final college season at Alabama in 2021, Williams posted 79 receptions for 1,572 yards. He was a big-play machine, averaging 19.9 yards per catch with 15 touchdowns.

Those numbers have given Williams a high bar to reach with the Lions. But Campbell is aiming for the 22-year-old to focus on the details of playing wide receiver in the NFL rather than on his statistics.

“For me, it’s dependability. That’s it. Reliability, dependability, go (get) lined up, know where you’re supposed to be,” Campbell said. “We’re going to get the (right route) depth out of you, and we can count on you to be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there, and that’s it.

“I’m not looking for yards, I’m not looking for explosives, not looking for touchdowns. Man, just be a reliable receiver like any of those guys in the room. That’s it, and to me, that’s a good year. Because we’re about winning. It’s not about one player, and that’ll help us win.”

Williams and the Lions will face a difficult test in Week 5. Despite holding an 0-4 record, the Panthers are allowing the sixth-fewest passing yards per game this season.