Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams was already off to a rough start at training camp, and it may have gotten even worse on Monday, July 31, after he threw a punch at a rookie teammate, according to multiple reports.
The Sports Place’s Ayre Pulli tweeted that Williams took a swing at cornerback Starling Thomas V after the rookie broke up a pass intended for him.
Lions WR Jameson Williams has been struggling today:
– Dropped two passes earlier
– Struggled in 1 on 1’s
– Threw a punch at rookie DB Starling Thomas after he forced an incompletion and started talking to Williams
Kyle Meinke, Lions beat reporter for MLive.com, noted that Williams had an all-around difficult day.
“Rough start for Jameson Williams in his first padded practice of the summer,” Meinke tweeted. “Dropped two balls against air, then went 0-3 during red zone one-on-ones and took a swat at the head of UDFA Starling Thomas.”
Williams has endured a troubled start to his career, missing the majority of his rookie season with a torn ACL and being forced to miss the first six games of the upcoming season after being hit with a gambling suspension. Monday’s incident led to more criticism, though it was unclear whether he would face any discipline from the team.
This is not the first incident in training camp for Thomas, who is trying to make the roster as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama-Birmingham. He also got tangled up with offensive lineman Germain Ifedi in what The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy reported on July 25 was the first fight of training camp
“If I gave you 10 chances to guess the two players involved, you’d go 0-for-10,” he wrote. “The culprits were UDFA cornerback Starling Thomas V and veteran reserve offensive lineman Germain Ifedi. It happened quickly, but it looked like Ifedi was out in space as lead blocker and Thomas was in his way. The two engaged after the play, shoving and wrestling to the ground before it was broken up by [coaches Aaron] Glenn and Antwaan Randle El.”
Jameson Williams’ Sophomore Campaign Off to Bad Start
Williams has already come under scrutiny for his performance through the team’s early offseason practices and start of training camp. SI.com’s John Maakaron noted on the All Lions podcast that the second-year receiver’s stock is falling as he struggled to make plays while teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown shined in comparison.
“You have to put yourself in the context that I’m watching Amon-Ra every single day catch the ball every day, look crisp and understand the complete what he needs to be doing, and Jameson Williams isn’t there yet,” Maakaron said. “It’s not a slight, obviously he’s young and there are reasons for it, but what I’m saying is at this point you would still expect Jameson to be just further ahead than where he is.”
The issues predate the start of training camp. During one of the team’s OTAs in early June, Lions quarterback Jared Goff was seen growing visibly frustrated with Williams when the receiver ran a route incorrectly.
Teammates Praise Jameson Williams
Despite the struggles, teammates have had good things to say about Williams and his development. Cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson said he was impressed with the work Williams has been putting in and was confident that Williams would make an impact this season.
Lions DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson on WR Jameson Williams:
“He’s one of the best receivers in the game right now. Working out with him every day, Jamo’s ready. Don’t worry about him. He ready.”
“He’s one of the best receivers in the game right now,” Gardner-Johnson said, via a video shared on Twitter by Pouncy. “Working out with him every day, Jamo’s ready. Don’t worry about him. He ready.”
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Troubled Lions WR in Hot Water After Throwing Punch at Rookie Teammate: Report