Lions WR Jameson Williams claims he wasn't aware of the NFL gambling policy, won't appeal suspension

It won’t be until Week 7 of the upcoming NFL season that Detroit Lions fans will finally get a full-on glimpse of a full-bore Jameson Williams. After spending most of the 2022 season recovering from a torn ACL in college, Williams was popped with a six-game suspension for gambling earlier this offseason.

At Lions OTAs this week, Williams said the suspension caught him by surprise as he was unaware of the specific policy that he had broken. He also added that he doesn’t plan to appeal his suspension.

“I just left it alone. They gave me six games and we left it at that,” Williams said to the gaggle of reporters. “I’m just looking forward to coming back Week 7. Getting back with my team out there, playing the game.”

#Lions WR Jameson Williams says he wasn’t aware of the NFL gambling rule he violated beforehand, but won’t appeal the 6-game suspension. “Just make the right decisions, it was something I wasn’t aware of and it caught me,” he said. Williams says “it hit me out the blue.” pic.twitter.com/tLgjywxxgr

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) May 25, 2023

Williams was one of several players suspended by the NFL for gambling violations. Williams didn’t gamble on NFL games, but placed bets on other sports while at the Lions team facility. That is a violation of the rules, but drew a lesser punishment than peers who bet on the NFL who are suspended indefinitely and can apply for reinstatement after a year.

Asked about it on Thursday, Williams acknowledged that he’s going to be an example for players and staffers around the league.

“Oh yeah, for sure,” Williams said. “Like I said, it hit me out the blue. And it hit a couple other players around the league and on my team out the blue. I wasn’t aware of this situation. But as it happened, like I said, I took it on the chin. I was ready to move forward as things moved on and I got the consequences. That’s been my whole plan, moving forward from things. And just looking at the better days.”

In his rookie season, Williams appeared in six games at the end of the season for the Lions. But joining the fold so late in the season and coming off an injury, he didn’t find a consistent way to impact games. He had one catch and one carry — both big plays, including a touchdown on the reception, his lone NFL catch to date — but didn’t do much beyond that. He played significant snaps on special teams and was called upon as a blocker, too.

Ahead of the 2023 season, with the Lions bringing back most of the 2022 offense, the hope was for Williams to be a dynamic, field-stretching weapon as the Lions push for playoff and division contention.

And Williams can still be that, just for 11 weeks instead of 17.

“I’m not a gambler. I’m a football player,” Williams said.