CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 24: Head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions reacts during the first half of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
One of the Lions’ most potent offensive weapons will return two weeks sooner than anticipated…
Jameson Williams, a wide receiver for the Lions, has been reinstated by the NFL and can play against Carolina next week. He was supposed to return in Week 7, two weeks after receiving a six-game suspension at first.
Williams and a number of other NFL players were suspended for six games for breaking the league’s sports gambling rules.
On Friday, the NFL and NFLPA changed the league’s policy. It has been a while since there have been many gambling violations in the league. Calvin Ridley, a wide receiver with the Atlanta Falcons, was fined for betting on NFL games during the 2022 season before being allowed to return. Josh Shaw, a cornerback with the Arizona Cardinals, was suspended in 2019 for betting on an NFL game. He hasn’t participated in the league since.
The new rule stiffens penalties for wagering on NFL games, including a one-year penalty for infractions and two-year suspensions for players who wager on their own team. Any attempt to manipulate a game will result in expulsion.
The Williams penalty has been removed since non-NFL gambling infractions will now result in a two-game suspension.
The Lions selected Williams in the 2022 draft.
