A host of adjustments to the NFL’s gambling policy abruptly facilitated the reinstatement of several players on Friday, including standout second-year Lions receiver Jameson Williams.
Detroit entered the 2023 season without Williams, 22, after he received a six-game suspension in April for placing bets on non-NFL football games from an NFL facility. However, with such violations now reduced to two games, Williams’s time away from his team has come to an end.
Following Friday’s news, Lions officials confirmed Williams will return to practice on Monday and be eligible to play as soon as Week 5 against the Panthers, per the Detroit Free Press. Previously, the NFL mandated players suspended for gambling would not be allowed in the facility for the first three weeks, or practice until the discipline ran its course.
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With Williams set to return, the Lions (3–1), fresh off a dominant 34–20 win over the Packers on Thursday night, will look to continue their hot start with the speedy wideout back in the fold.
After debuting in Week 13 of the 2022 season following a long rehab of a torn ACL, Williams flashed his potential in limited action. The former No. 12 pick out of Alabama appeared in six games, and recorded just one catch on the year on a 41-yard touchdown reception in Week 14.
