Getty Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams responded to criticism of his social media use.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams won’t be able to suit up until Week 7 of this year as he serves out his six-game gambling suspension, but is nearing a major milestone in his return to the team.
The league suspended Williams for six games after he was found to have placed bets while at a team facility, an infraction that the Lions wide receiver said he did not realize he had committed. Williams already had an abbreviated rookie season as he recovered from a major injury, and the suspension forced him to miss critical time at the start of his second year in the NFL.
But Williams will soon be able to return to the team, with the league allowing him to rejoin teammates at Allen Park in a matter of days.
Jameson Williams Back in the Fold Soon
As Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News reported on September 1, Williams is allowed to come back to the team facility at the start of Week 4, meaning he will rejoin teammates the day after their September 24 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
Just before the suspension started, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said it would be an important step to get Williams back with the team.
“(We had) good communication with Jameson and his agent before the deadline. Obviously, you can’t have any contact with him, but they have a good plan in place for him while he’s recovering from his injury,” Holmes said. “That six-week suspension sounds daunting when you say (it like) that, but after three weeks, he’s gonna be able to come back in the building and we can kind of re-acclimate him.”
While it will be important for Williams to work with teammates and coaches again as he approaches his return to the field, Holmes said there is another important reason to get Williams back in the building. The wide receiver suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason and has been unable to work with team doctors on his rehab through the first three weeks of the season.
WR Jameson Williams can return to the facility after this week. He can’t play until week 7.
“The expectation is for him to handle everything that the plan is set out to do,” Holmes said. “I have confidence that he will, and I have so much respect for the future, which is the unknown, and I don’t wanna say he’s gonna get this many catches or yards.
“But, we hope he has an impact for us.”
Another Key Return for Lions Receiving Corps
The Lions could have a more immediate return for this week’s game against the Falcons. Top receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown missed practice on Wednesday while rehabbing a toe injury, but was able to return to practice on Thursday, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The Lions are still dealing with a number of other injuries on both sides of the ball. Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a torn pectoral that is expected to be season-ending, while defensive lineman Josh Paschal was placed on injured reserve. Running back David Montgomery is also expected to miss time after suffering a thigh bruise in the team’s September 17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.