The 4-6 Detroit Lions have strung together three straight wins now, with the most recent coming in the form of a 31-18 beatdown of the New York Giants on Sunday. The team scored another "W" on Monday, as the Lions announced that they had opened the practice window for first-round pick wide receiver Jameson Williams.
This means Williams has three weeks to practice before he has to be added to the active roster. The former Alabama star tore his ACL last January in the College Football Playoff National Championship game against Georgia, but still went No. 12 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
This is a notable step for the rookie, but it doesn't mean you'll see him on the field this month.
"I would say probably after Thanksgiving sometime ... I think that's tentatively what we're looking at," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said last week when asked about a potential return to action, per the team's official website. "I don't know if that would be the Jacksonville week or the week after. It could be (Thanksgiving) week. It's just we're not doing a ton, but he's close. We'll see where it goes. He's progressing, there's no setbacks."
Williams was named first-team All-SEC in 2021 after recording 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide. His 15 touchdowns ranked No. 1 in the SEC and were tied for third-most in the nation. Williams' best outing came in last year's 42-35 victory over Arkansas, where he caught eight passes for a whopping 190 yards and three touchdowns. The week prior against New Mexico State, he caught three touchdowns as well.
A dynamic downfield threat, Williams will certainly add an explosive element to Detroit's offense. Fans hope he will show some flashes of what he's capable of in the next month or so.
