The Detroit Lions are going to miss their return man, Tom Kennedy, for the rest of the season. He was placed on the IR with an MCL injury. One intriguing name to replace Kennedy, particularly on punt returns, is wide receiver Jameson Williams, according to Jon Jensen of the Ticket.
The host noted that the new kickoff rules do not make kick returning as valuable enough to risk a star like Williams. However, Jensen feels the opportunity for big plays is worth giving Williams a chance.
“In terms of the punt return, Jamo. He did in his final year at Alabama. You have an opportunity for some big plays and some big moments.”
The backlash he got to the idea was that Williams is having a career-worst year when it comes to his drop rate. If he is dropping too many passes, the team might not want him returning kicks.
Still, Williams averaged over 30 yards per return at Alabama, and is obviously one of the most dynamic players when he has the ball in his hands.
Detroit Lions Could Use Jameson Williams as Punt Return Option
Head coach Dan Campbell admitted that the Lions are going to take some time to review who they would choose to return punts. He mentioned in-house candidates and discussed looking at players from other teams.
“We’ve got a couple of in-house candidates,” admitted Campbell. “We’re looking at some guys, Brad and them are looking right now to see what’s out there.”
What might be even more telling to note is that the Lions used Amon-Ra St. Brown in the game and did not use Williams. Campbell even mentioned that the plan will likely continue to use St. Brown, although it will only be on a certain-situation basis.
“I would rather not have St. Brown back there for a whole game taking punts,” admitted Campbell on their plan. He’ll probably have some depending on where we are at on the field, but I don’t want him to be our full-time punt returner.”
So, the team does not appear to be viewing Williams as a serious option. They do not want to risk his injury, and when a moment is important enough to risk it, they would rather have St. Brown return punts.
Williams Gets Called Out Over Drops
One of the big reasons the team does not lean on Williams more is likely due to the lack of trust. Williams suffered an injury early in his career and then was suspended. It took him some time to build up the trust with the coaching staff.
He has grown every year in his NFL career so far. However, 2026 is looking like a dip in yards per route run. The big issue right now appears to be the drops. Williams has an 18% drop rate this season. His career rate is 11%, and that includes his current season.
The year prior, he had a 12.2% drop rate. The team likes Williams, but he still brings too many questions. It is hard to see him get a chance on punt returns.
Lions Could Turn to $80M Star to Replace Injured Veteran