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Ever since the NFL draft, perhaps the biggest question for the Detroit Lions has been what will happen with the recovery of wideout Jameson Williams, and when can he be expected to return to the team?
Specific answers on that front are hard to obtain, but another educated guess has just been cast and it isn’t a bad one for Lions fans to remember. Williams, who is attempting to return from an ACL injury, could be back early in the 2022 season if a reporter’s hypothesis is correct.
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Writing in a mailbag segment, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com was asked about when Williams could be ready to go for the 2022 season. As he explained, it wouldn’t be a shock if that timetable was indeed earlier in the season rather than later but not quite Week 1. Why? The simple reason of timing, and the fact that Williams will need to get up to game and practice speed.
“If I had to make a guess, I’d say Week 4 at home vs. Seattle we could see Williams on the field and making an impact, but here’s hoping for Week 1 just because I’m really excited to watch him in this offense,” Twentyman wrote in the piece.
Twentyman’s timeline seems fair. It would allow Williams time to ease his way back into action come July and August and then start to ramp things up as September comes along. Such a scenario would allow the Lions to not only ease Williams back in and ensure his health, but allow the player to come back on the early side.
As predictions go, this is a pretty good one for the Lions and Williams.
Williams Planning on Being Ready for Lions Camp
While the Detroit brass was tight-lipped after picking Williams about when he could become ready off a devastating ACL injury during the 2022 College Football Playoff, Williams himself was not so reserved. He wants fans to know he is planning on being back for training camp in a few more months.
As Williams told the media on Friday, April 29 just after being drafted, he is plotting a return for camp in what might be a bit of a shocking development given the complexities and dangers with such injuries. Even such, Williams seems to be doing well enough to gain this confidence.
“Lions WR Jameson Williams, recovering from a torn ACL, says he expects to be ready by training camp. That would be big,” Ari Meirov tweeted.
Indeed it would be big for the Lions to have Williams ready for training camp, and the team will hope that this is the case. In the past, ACL injuries have been longer recoveries than they are now, and modern medicine is helping players come back faster and stronger in a bigger way than ever before.
It’s been said that Williams is having a solid recovery so far, and that’s great news for Detroit. It could make the timeline look even better for the team and their electric young player.
Why Lions Should Take Time With Williams’ Recovery
If the team doesn’t feel Williams is ready to come back quickly either in preseason, training camp or the regular season, they shouldn’t rush him along. It’s not overstating matters to say Williams is one of Detroit’s most important young pieces in a long time given what he means to the offense. Making sure he is completely ready and healthy is of utmost importance to the Lions at this point in time, so Williams should not be rushed back even if it’s obvious the Lions need him in a big way this season to make dynamic plays.
Williams’ future with the team is more important than the 2022 present, so no matter whether it’s Week 4, Week 10 or Week 14, the team needs to do their diligence. At the very least, though, this type of timeline could make sense for both parties.
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