What to know about Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams as he makes his 2023 debut

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is expected to make his 2023 debut Sunday thanks to a change in NFL gambling policy that cut his six-week suspension short.

Williams should be suited up and available Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers. His surprise addition back into the offense comes at a perfect time for Detroit, who have Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs battling injuries.

Williams’ tantalizing speed and playmaking ability will open up additional wrinkles to use for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the Detroit offense, which is averaging 26.5 points per game and were 3-1 in games without him. The former Alabama star returned to practice this week fully healthy and will be slowly worked back into the game plan according to Detroit coaches.

Return from suspension

Williams was initially suspended six games in April for betting on non-NFL football games from an NFL facility while he was rehabbing from his ACL injury during the 2022 season.

He participated in training camp before he suffered a hamstring injury between the first and second games of the preseason schedule and was forced to sit out. After the preseason was over, Williams could not be with the team for the first three weeks of the season because of the suspension before returning in Week 4 to participate in team meetings.

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A day after the Lions’ Thursday night win over the Green Bay Packers, the NFL announced a new gambling policy that reduced the punishment for the first offense of betting on non-NFL sports to two games, instead of the six Williams was initially handed. The change immediately lifted the suspension and Williams rejoined two weeks earlier than scheduled.

Despite being the No. 12 overall pick just less than two years ago, head coach Dan Campbell said it will be a slow process to bring Williams back. Williams will work to get back up to speed from the time he missed and is not expected to have a large amount of snaps early.

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2022 season

The first-round pick has played sparingly so far since being drafted. Williams first had to recover from a torn ACL that he suffered just months before he was drafted.

The injury did not deter the Lions from trading up to add his unteachable speed to their offense, but it did cost him the first 11 games of his rookie season. Williams did not return until Week 13 in the 40-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished the year in a limited role as a deep field threat.

Ultimately, Williams’ speed was more of a decoy than a direct weapon in 2022. Williams only had one catch for a 40-yard touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in his six games. Fans may also remember a deep catch he had in the final game of the regular season finale against the Packers that was called back because of a penalty.

Injury history

Williams' brief time on the field in the NFL has as much to do with injuries as his suspension. The speedy wide receiver tore his ACL while playing for Alabama in the 2022 national championship against Georgia, ultimately costing him most of his rookie year.

He began his career at Ohio State and played a limited role in his first two seasons behind some other future NFL receivers. Williams then transferred to Alabama in 2021 and it quickly became obvious he made the right choice. He finished 2021 with 79 catches for 1,572 yards, averaging 19.9 yards per catch, scoring 15 touchdowns, and was an All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist. His biggest performances came against SEC defenses and down the stretch as he helped Alabama reach the national title game before getting hurt.

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The performances on the big stage helped the Lions overcome their injury concerns and make a long-term investment.

Since returning from the ACL, it hasn’t been a perfect bill of health in the NFL either for Williams. He injured both hamstrings during this season’s training camp and ultimately missed the final two weeks of practice before he started the suspension. Williams has missed 15 of a possible 21 NFL games to this point of his career.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Jameson Williams makes 2023 debut: What to know on him