INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – AUGUST 20: Jameson Williams #9 of the Detroit Lions walks off the field after the preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 20, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Jameson Williams won’t make his NFL debut for awhile yet, but he has posted a video of a notable step in his progress from a torn ACL.
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes knew he was taking a long-term view when he moved up to No. 12 overall in April’s draft to take Jameson Williams. Williams suffered a torn ACL playing for Alabama in January’s national title game and was guaranteed to have a delayed start to his rookie season.
Holmes ruled Williams out for Week 1 earlier this month, and last week’s placement on the reserve/NFI list confirmed he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season. With the Lions having a bye in Week 6, it’s very possible he does not play until Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Despite not being able to practice alongside his teammates during training camp, Williams has been very engaged–getting mental reps and also being spotted throwing passes during last Monday’s player-run practice session.
Jameson Williams posts workout video showing his progress
An important step in Williams’ rehab is being able to run for the first time. He has done so, per his Instagram story and shared by Pride of Detroit and Lions Fan Report.
Williams clearly hardly operated at what would be full speed on Saturday, assuming he posted the video pretty immediately after he ran (and it was surely a recent run anyway). But he was able to accelerate, decelerate and change direction without any apparent issue, and being cleared to run a at all is the broader huge step to note.
The Lions have made it clear all along they will not rush Williams, which is the smart move. He is still not quite eight months removed from his injury and subsequent surgery, after all. As Lions fans await more signs of progress and ultimately his debut, this is a fine teaser.