With the Detroit Lions 2023 schedule out, when will Jameson Williams make his season debut?
An offseason otherwise filled with positives for the Detroit Lions got a huge buzzkill in April, when four players were suspended for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. Of course the headliner of the group, and the only one left on the roster now, was second-year wide receiver Jameson Williams.
Working his way back from a torn ACL in his final college game, Williams’ rookie season was a six-game tease that didn’t even come to full fruition. He had one catch on nine targets, albeit for a 41-yard touchdown, and a 40-yard run which he nearly broke for a longer score.
Naturally, the Lions had plans for Williams to have a bigger role and a breakout season this year. And now, he’ll miss 35.3 percent of the season. That said, he’ll be able to be with the team until final cuts before Week 1 and he’ll be able to return to practice a few weeks before he’s eligible to play. So in terms of pure practice time missed, any is not ideal but it could be worse.
Detroit Lions 2023 schedule: When will Jameson Williams make his season debut?
Of course, Williams six-game suspension could have gone beyond Week 6 if the Lions bye week was within the first six weeks. But alas, the Lions have their well-placed bye in Week 9.
So Williams will make his 2023 season debut, barring something unforeseen to change that, in Week 7 when the Lions are on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. Against a tough team like the Ravens, it will be well-timed for the Lions to have all their offensive weapons available (assuming everyone else is healthy at that point).
The question with Williams will be how many snaps he’ll play in his first game of the season. But honestly, with weeks of practice time to ramp back up with the team, he shouldn’t have any real restrictions on his playing time once he’s able to suit up. If he does have a very limited snap count in his 2023 debut, without testament to an injury suffered in practice, that will be a red flag.