The Detroit Lions were one choke job away from an opportunity to play into their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. The roster talent and the record said so but rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the upstart Washington Commanders had other plans.
Third-year wide receiver Jameson Williams was a major cog in head coach Dan Campbell's big, Honolulu Blue machine. He recorded his first career 1,000-yard season (1,001) and finished tied for second on the team in receiving touchdowns (7) with tight end Sam LaPorta.
Now entering his fourth season as a professional, Williams is expected to deliver even bigger results for a Lions team looking to finally get over the playoff hump.
"I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves in OTAs, but, I mean, there's so much versatility with him," Campbell said Friday. "The sky's the limit for him. He's exactly where we want him to be right now at this point. We expect him to have a huge season. We really do, man."
Lions WR Jameson Williams only has one roadblock to greatness: Himself
Williams' career hasn't been without adversity, some of it self-induced. In 2023, he was one of five players suspended for violating the NFL's anti-gambling policy for placing a wager on a college football game while at the team hotel during a road trip. His six-game suspension was reduced to just four but that wouldn't be his last disciplinary run in.
Just last season, Williams missed two games for allegedly using performance-enhancing substances. It was a suspension he said he was disappointed in but that he had "no choice but to take it on the chin."
Jameson Williams learned from his mistakes
While it's valid to view the transgressions as unacceptable, Williams now has the opportunity to rectify his mistakes on the gridiron. It's already evident his talents will take him far but how far exactly is up to his discipline.
"He's got a ton of growth left, you know? And, you know, he's listening, he's had a good spring," Campbell said, expressing his confidence in Williams' ability to rebound. The 24-year-old himself seems to be all in on making up for lost time.
"Going into year four I got a little pep in my step. I'm becoming a vet and moving over from the rookie stage, and I'm just ready to play more football and be more consistent for my team," Williams told team reporter Tim Twentyman. He described how his experiences are translating to helping younger guys on the roster as well as himself.
"The young guys come to me about a lot of stuff, and I actually feel good because I know what they are asking me," he said. "When I was in their stage, I had guys who I could go to, and they helped me with things. We've got four or five rookies that are coming to me asking me like, 'What's going on? How does this look? How does that look?' And I got the right answers for them. It feels good being that guy and that role model for them."
Keep Williams high on your list for another breakout season. If he stays out of trouble, he could be one of the biggest slept on wideouts in the game.