It's been almost four years since the Detroit Lions took Jameson Williams out of Alabama with the No. 12 pick. From that day, he's been out with injuries and two different suspensions: one for violating the league's gambling policy, and one for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy.
That's to say that his career has gotten off to a bit of a shaky start. And, given his seemingly evident character issues and his history, the Lions' decision to give him a three-year contract extension worth up to $83 million seemed like a risky bet in September. Fast forward to today, and he hasn't done much to ease those concerns.
Jameson Williams' Resurgence Opens Door for Bigger Issues
The Lions went through the full Jameson Williams experience again in Sunday night's 16-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He broke loose for a 40-yard touchdown reception that would've put his team up 7-6. Instead, he cost the team 15 yards with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a bit of a wild celebration featuring the goalposts (h/t @AryePulliNFL).
As a result, kicker Jake Bates missed the following extra-point attempt, and the Lions didn't have another chance to get up on the scoreboard. While it was great to see him score a TD for the third straight outing, the problem with Williamson is that the headaches happen way too often. The more big plays he makes, the more he acts out and keeps holding his team back with those avoidable penalties.
Granted, the referees don't seem to have much of a sense of humor, and they're going to throw a flag at the slightest sign of taunting or disrespect. That being said, Williams is a 24-year-old professional athlete making tens of millions of dollars, so he should know better by now, especially if an action could potentially hurt his teammates.
Of course, Sunday wasn't the first time Williams took things too far. He was fined for multiple obscene gestures last season, picking up a near-$20,000 ticket for a taunt against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11 before a not-so-family-friendly celebration against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round put him on the hook for over $25,000.
Williams has left plenty to be desired since signing that big contract extension, and while he's been better in the two games since head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton, he will have to do much better for the team to look the other way after all of his shenanigans.
So far, the former first-round pick is up to 31 receptions on 50 targets for 562 yards and five receiving touchdowns, but he has only had two games of 100+ receiving yards this season, and was even held without a catch once.
Williams has all the talent in the world, as well as the speed to leave all defensive players in the league in the dust. Unfortunately, he also seems to be his own worst enemy, and the Lions can't afford to have one of their highest-paid players be the reason they're constantly going backwards. Hopefully, Sunday's celebration was a one-off (even though fans shouldn't hold their breath).