Last week, speculation started circulating about a potential Jameson Williams trade. These discussions began after Mike Payton of A to Z Sports and a few other Detroit Lions beat reporters mentioned that it would be difficult to keep Williams alongside some of the other young offensive and defensive stars.
Williams is entering his fourth season, and although he is up for the fifth-year option, the Lions have yet to exercise it. Therefore, suggesting the 24-year-old could be a trade piece made sense. Yet, there was no indication that a trade could be a possibility.
That all changed on Monday when Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer released an article previewing the NFL draft. In the article, he mentioned that some people within NFL circles believe Williams could be traded.
This report turns Williams' speculation that local media brought up into league-wide news, which sounds more probable now.
NFL insider says there's a belief in the league that the Lions could soon trade Jameson Williamshttps://t.co/an8XudenBh
— Mike Payton (@AtoZ_Payton) April 21, 2025
Jameson Williams Trade Speculation Heats Up
The University of Alabama product is coming off his best season in the NFL, having caught 58 passes on 91 targets for 1,001 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2024. His breakout performance helped the Lions' passing output improve from 4,606 yards in 2023 to 4,718 in 2024. Although that's not a huge difference, it did help Detroit score nine more touchdowns in 2024 (70).
The No. 2 wide receiver market saw a dramatic shift this offseason when the Cincinnati Bengals gave Tee Higgins a four-year, $115 million extension. Williams has been nowhere near as productive as Higgins, but his career is on the upswing, and his trade value is only climbing.
This means that not only could this be a great time to sell high on the former first-round pick, but that a potential contract extension down the line could end up being more expensive than the Lions could afford to pay anyway. And of course, this week gives them a chance to look for a good replacement in the NFL Draft.