Pride of Detroit
After a rocky start to his career, the Lions may be able to get a deal on Jameson Williams before he truly breaks out if they sign him this offseason.
One of the more polarizing draft picks in recent years for the Detroit Lions was taking wide receiver Jameson Williams in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
After selecting Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 2 pick that year, the Lions made a massive move up, trading pick Nos. 32, 34, and 66 for pick Nos. 12 and 46, ultimately selecting Williams at No. 12.
It was a gamble for Detroit, not only because of the fact that they moved up 20 spots, but also due to Williams recovering from a torn ACL that he sustained in his final year of college.
The recovery kept Williams out for much of his rookie season, as the wideout played in just six games. Then, in 2022, Williams was suspended for the first six games (eventually reduced to four) for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. He played in 12 games that year, catching 24 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns.
2024 was Williams’ true breakout campaign, as the former first-rounder caught 58 passes for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns, turning into an explosive play machine. He went for over 100 yards three times, while reaching the 75-yard mark another eight times, becoming the No. 2 option behind Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The Lions were clearly pleased with Williams’s breakout season, as they picked up his fifth-year option for 2026, guaranteeing the wideout a $15.493 million salary. Of course, with picking up the option comes extension talks, as Detroit has done a good job of keeping their homegrown stars over the past few years.
This offseason, the Lions have already extended safety Kerby Joseph and linebacker Derrick Barnes. Last year, it was Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Alim McNeill, Taylor Decker, DJ Reader, Graham Glasgow, and David Montgomery.
Now, it could be Williams’s turn, as the Lions may look to secure a long-term extension for the speedy wideout ahead of the season. Wide receiver prices are only going up, and Williams could secure himself a massive contract with another 1,000-yard season.
So, what could an extension look like?
There have been a couple of massive extensions at the wide receiver position this offseason, but those aren’t the only deals to keep an eye on.
Quality wideouts such as Khalil Shakir, Rashod Bateman, and Darius Slayton each earned multi-year extensions worth at least $12 million annually.
Shakir earned the biggest deal, landing a four-year, $53 million deal from the Buffalo Bills. Bateman recently got a three-year, $36.75 million extension, while Slayton got a three-year, $36 million deal much earlier in the offseason.
Honestly, those three contracts seem like the floor for Williams after his 2024 campaign. He’s more than a year younger than both Shakir and Bateman and four years younger than Slayton....
