ALLEN PARK — Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not be working himself back into the game after serving a two-game NFL suspension for using performance enhancing drugs. He’ll be dropped back into action like he was never gone.
Williams will be on the field at the Houston Texans on Sunday night.
“Honestly, we’re throwing him back in there, he’s going,’’ coach Dan Campbell said, making a kicking motion from the podium. “Let’s go. We’re going to kick him out there with the offense and get him going. I expect him to be ready to roll.’’
Williams can’t wait. He watched both games he missed with his brother at his house.
“I was just thinking I can’t wait until I get back out there with the guys, I missed the guys and missed practicing, I didn’t have too much to do,’’ Williams said on Wednesday.
He was able to be at the practice facility, work out and attend meetings. But he couldn’t practice, travel or attend games.
“I was staying really close to my closest people. I’ve got closest people who checked on me a lot and made sure I was OK,’’ Williams said.
He has the unwavering support from Campbell.
“It means a lot, that’s my head coach. I’ve been through a lot playing under him. We’ve bumped heads in certain situations but now I see his faith in me and he understands what happened and things like that,’’ Williams said. “It’s big to me, him having faith in me and being along with me in those situations.’’
It was his second suspension in two years. The NFL also sat him down at the beginning of the 2023 season for gambling.
Like Campbell, his teammates have not given up on him.
“We’re a team, they’re my brothers. They knew what really was going on, they knew what really happened. It wasn’t looking at it from the outside in, like most people were,’’ Williams said. “When your brother’s down you have to pick them up just like I do for anybody else when they’re down. I’d say that’s the main thing, it’s the brotherhood.’’
In the first six games, the wide receiver had 17 catches for 361 yards (21.2 yards per catch) and three touchdowns. He also ran four times for 32 yards.
The Lions (7-1) won both games without him and remain atop the NFC North.
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