As it turns out, according to Aidan Hutchinson, Lions players were a lot like fans watching Jameson Williams last season.
From the moment he was drafted 12th overall last year, the Detroit Lions and their fans knew Jameson Williams‘ rookie season would only be a tease of what he could ultimately do as he worked his way back from a torn ACL. He played limited snaps in six games, with two touches that both went for at least 40 yards.
The bar is being raised for Williams moving toward his second season. He is line for a big role, and the Lions seemed ready to let DJ Chark leave in free agency to fully kick open the door for a breakout.
Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was on the Green Light podcast with Chris Long last week, and he touched on a number of topics related the team and his own goals for the 2023 season. Williams came up, and via SI.com Hutchinson talked about seeing his fellow 2022 first-round pick in action like a fan might.
Aidan Hutchinson and other Lions players were like fans watching Jameson Williams
I mean it happened right as he scored that touchdown,” “We’re all sitting there on the sideline, because we know how fast he is. And I mean, he was still not 100 percent coming off that knee. I mean, those those guys are not 100 percent until a year and a half after. We were all sitting there on the sideline just stargazing and really excited about next year.”
Williams had a 41-yard touchdown catch in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 17 against the Chicago Bears, he had a 40-yard run that he nearly broke for a score. There were a couple missed opportunities along the way, but a fully healthy offseason to build rapport with Jared Goff and get fully embedded in the Lions’ offense should iron those things out.
Lions fans are eagerly awaiting what Williams will do in his second season. His teammates are obviously in the same boat, but Hutchinson certainly sounded like a fan in saying he and other teammates were “stargazing” last season.