Detroit Lions Jameson Williams will not appeal NFL suspension

The Detroit Lions will officially be without Jameson Williams for the next two games.

Reports surfaced Thursday indicating that Williams will accept and not appeal his two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. Per the policy, a two-game suspension is handed down for a positive test for stimulants, diuretics or masking agents.

Williams was enjoying a solid start to the 2024 season, with 17 receptions for 361 yards and three touchdowns. It is the second time he’s been suspended, as the first time came last year when he was handed a four-game ban for violating the league’s anti-gambling policy.

As a rookie in 2022, Williams missed the first 10 games of the season, while rehabbing a torn ACL, and had one catch in seven appearances.

Williams released a statement on Thursday explaining that the suspension came as a “complete surprise.”

“The news came as a complete surprise that I am still trying to understand,” Williams wrote. “I don’t take supplements or vitamins and I am overly cautious about even taking over-the-counter medicine. At no time have I ever taken something in an attempt to cheat or look for an unfair advantage.”

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— Rocky Arceneaux (@Alliance_Sports) October 24, 2024Without Williams, the Lions will call upon the likes of Kalif Raymond and Allen Robinson to join top contributors Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tim Patrick at the position. Williams will miss Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans and the Week 9 game at Green Bay, but is eligible to return ahead of the team’s Week 10 game at the Houston Texans.

On Wednesday, coach Dan Campbell expressed confidence in the playmakers that Detroit has and that they would be able to manage the possibility of not having Williams.

“Well, I’m not supposed to really talk about it, but no. We’re prepared not to have him, and it’s all good,” Campbell said. “So, he’s going to be here, he’s helping, until they come through with whatever’s going to happen. He’s with us, he’s part of this team, he’s helping out, and we’re good. We’ve got Allen Robinson, we’ve got (Raymond) ‘Leaf,’ we’ve got (Amon-Ra St. Brown) ‘Saint,’ I can keep going, we’ve got (Tim Patrick) ‘TP,’ we’ve got (Sam) LaPorta, we’ve got (Jahmyr) Gibbs, we’ve got (David) Montgomery. We’ll probably bring Isaiah Williams, so we’re good. This isn’t the first little bit of stuff we’ve been hit with, so we adjust, we move on, and life’s good.”