This has certainly been an offseason to forget for Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. Almost three months after he was hit with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's gambling policy, he posted a picture to his Instagram story where he was lighting a firework while celebrating the Fourth of July.
Both of these incidents have made some Lions' fans question Williams' maturity, and if he is serious about football. But with all of the headlines made by NFL players throughout the year, for more controversial reasons in a lot of cases, Williams being dragged across social media has been too much.
Jameson Williams off the field issues do not come close to those of other players in the league
Let's start with Williams' gambling. Since his suspension was handed down, more news has come out about how the rule he broke had not been made clear.
If Williams would have brushed off the situation, that would have been one thing. But during his first session of media availability, Williams took full accountability for his actions and didn't dodge any questions during his time. Was the gamblins suspension avoidable? Absolutely. But to label Williams as immature and selfish due too vagueness in the rules is unfair.
The most recent controversy involving Williams was taken too far too fast. A couple local media pundits went into a tizzy.
While the Jason Pierre-Paul accident is the first thing that jumped into some people's minds after seeing Williams' video, they are completely different situations. Pierre-Paul was holding onto a lit firework and it went off in his hand. Williams is seen bending over and lighting a firework and stepping away to a fairly safe distance. The only way these situations are similar is they involve fireworks. That's where it ends.
In short, Williams is not devoid of blame for the situations he has been in. But to question a kid's maturity level over a ridiculous gambling rule or celebrating the Fourth of July is going too far. If teams can find a reason to keep other guys around after and at times amid legit legal trouble, there is no reason to question if Williams belongs on the Lions' roster. That said, he has a lot to prove when he is able to take the field this season.