Troubled Lions WR Gets Good News Ahead of Critical Season

 
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Jameson Williams runs after making a catch against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Detroit Lions made a big decision on wide receiver Jameson Williams this offseason, picking up his fifth-year option and ensuring he will remain in Detroit through 2027.

But the controversial wide receiver’s long-term future in Detroit remains a bit more uncertain, with some insiders predicting the Lions could hold off on a long-term contract after a series of problems off the field and uneven play on it. The team may have cleared up some of that uncertainty this week, with two of the team’s new coaches sharing some big praise for his growth.

 
New Offensive Coordinator Loves Jameson Williams
The Lions had a big shakeup on offense after last season, losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to a head coaching job with the Chicago Bears and replacing him with John Morton. It was a homecoming for Morton, who served as the team’s senior offensive assistant under head coach Dan Campbell in 2022.

Morton had a high opinion of Williams, saying he has seen tremendous growth from the 24-year-old.

“Unbelievable. Just unbelievable,” Morton said, via The Athletic. “When I first got here, he came in to see me, we had a chat and I’m painting the picture, this is what you need to do, this is how I see it and he has been unbelievable. Unbelievable. In the meetings, the attention to detail, I mean, I’m so excited to see him this year. It’s going to be a breakout year for him. So I can’t wait, I just can’t wait, man.”

Though Williams has had plenty of troubles off the field — including a pair of suspensions from the NFL, one for violating the league’s gambling rules and the other for performance-enhancing drugs — he has gotten nothing but praise from the coaching staff for his work ethic.

Scottie Montgomery, the team’s new wide receivers coach, said he has already seen that work ethic firsthand.

“When I came off of the couple-week break we had, Jamo was already here,” Montgomery said. “In the offseason, I didn’t have to call him. Once I got the job, he knew exactly what it was. He came up just to say hello to me because he knew what we needed to get done. And then now, two days ago or yesterday … probably one of the better meetings I’ve ever seen him in. It was a total offensive meeting. … The communication level and the questions and the football IQ and the acumen that he was asking questions about is what you really wanted to see.”

 
Lions Could Still Want More From Jameson Williams
Detroit Free Press reporter Dave Birkett also suggested the Lions could still wait to see more from Williams before working toward a long-term extension. Though the team did pick up the fifth-year options on both him and Aidan Hutchinson, Birkett suggested Williams may need to prove he can be a reliable player before he gets a longer deal.

“No deal is imminent for Williams and the Lions, and there’s a case to be made the Lions should hold off on signing their young receiver to a big-money extension,” Birkett wrote. “But given Williams’ limited and questionable NFL track record so far, the most prudent approach from the team is to slow-play a new deal.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty