Back in October, on the heels of a two-game performance-enhancing substance suspension, Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams was in the headlines for the wrong reasons again when news surfaced that Detroit police were investigating the circumstances of a gun-related incident involving him.
Williams was the passenger in a car pulled over for speeding, and during the stop police officers found two guns in the car. One was registered to Williams' brother, while the other was registered to Williams himself. At the time, Williams did not have the permit to carry the weapon. The Detroit Police Department opened an internal affairs investigation to figure out why he was not taken into custody., and a warrant request for Williams' arrest was made.
In November, just before Thanksgiving, it was announced Williams will not face legal charges related to his carrying an unlicensed gun. That did not necessarily mean he wouldn't face discipline from the NFL, as charges are not required in order to be suspended. But not being charged did seem to make a suspension far more unlikely, and if Williams were to be suspended it might be shorter because he wasn't charged.
Jameson Williams will not be suspended for gun-related incident
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday, Williams will not face discipline from the NFL stemming from that incident in October. A league spokesperson told Birkett the matter is "closed."
Williams has been suspended twice in his first three seasons. He was suspended for violating the NFL's gambling policy in 2023, and his original six-game ban was shortened to four games as the league acknowledged its issue educating players and team personnel in terms of finer specifics about what was and wasn't allowed.
Then came the two-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing substance policy this past season, which became a black mark on what was otherwise a breakthrough campaign for Williams. Then news of the traffic stop and gun incident, in light of the internal investigation, came to light.
Williams can now go into the 2025 season with nothing off the field hanging over his head. The Lions have to make a decision about picking up his fifth-year option ($15.16 million) by May 1.