Lions: Jameson Williams suspension could cause major problems for injury recovery

Bad news for Lions star receiver Jameson Williams just keeps piling up this preseason. Here’s the latest on how his impending suspension could affect his recovery. 

Lions wideout Jameson Williams’ Google calendar for this offseason probably looks busier than most.

Back in May, Williams got slapped with a six-game suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy, no matter how obscure it was. Then, Williams got banged up in camp while also getting criticized for drops, most recently suffering a hamstring injury on Wednesday that is expected to keep him sidelined for the rest of preseason.

Barring any further setbacks, Williams should be available to play after Week 6, but there’s a teeny catch.

According to the NFL rulebook, once the regular season starts, Williams’ six-game suspension prevents him from receiving treatment from his team’s medical staff for the hamstring issue he picked up.

Unless the Lions find a loophole, Williams may be forced to rehab on his own for that six-week stretch.

The 2022 first-rounder started his rookie campaign off on a torn ACL, but he didn’t end up playing much as the Lions made a late push for the playoffs. Williams finished with 61 scrimmage yards and one touchdown in six games.

Lions WR Jameson Williams gets bad news on injury recovery plans

Calling Williams’ NFL career start “not ideal” would be a gross understatement.

It feels like years since Williams was touted as one of the most talented wide receiver prospects in the 2022 draft, and while his peers like Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave keep leveling up, Williams somehow keeps finding more hurdles in his path.

Williams gained some of the league’s sympathy when he got handed a hefty suspension for breaking the league’s gambling rules — he reportedly bet on college football games while at a Lions facility. Instead of getting the opportunity to play his first full season in the league, Williams turned from a rising breakout star into a cautionary tale.

His antics at camp and visible decline in form lowered Williams’ stock to the point where his own general manager had to come to his defense. News of his inability to receive medical treatment at the start of the 2023 season is just the cherry on top of Williams’ heaping list of inconveniences.

Many NFL players have overcome slow starts to their careers, yet few have been in Williams’ unfortunate shoes being attacked from all sides by the media, the NFL, fate, everybody. Call it bad luck or call it karma — the Lions speedster has a lot of catching up to do.