On Thursday, May 25, 2023, during an NFL football practice in Allen Park, Michigan, wide receiver Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions sprints after a grab. (Photo by Paul Sancya/AP)
On Thursday, May 25, 2023, at Allen Park, Michigan, NFL football practice, running back Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions touches the ball. (Photo by Paul Sancya/AP)

On Thursday, May 25, 2023, before an NFL football practice in Allen Park, Michigan, head coach of the Detroit Lions Dan Campbell addresses the media. (Photo by Paul Sancya/AP)

On Thursday, May 25, 2023, before an NFL football practice in Allen Park, Michigan, head coach of the Detroit Lions Dan Campbell addresses the media. (Photo by Paul Sancya/AP)

Michigan’s Allen Park (AP) Jameson Williams, a receiver for the Detroit Lions who was suspended for the first six games of the season, said he was not aware that he had broken an NFL gambling policy.

Williams said to reporters on Thursday, “It smacked me out of the blue.” “And it unexpectedly hit a few other guys on my team and around the league.”

For placing bets on NFL games the previous season, the league suspended Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore, and Shaka Toney of the Washington Redskins for the full 2023 season in April. The players may request to be reinstated.

Stanley Berryhill, Williams’ teammate and the 12th overall pick in 2022, was benched for six games after they gambled on non-NFL games at a league facility.

Two of the top three offenses in the NFL are playing in the Lions-49ers game, but San Francisco has a significant defensive edge.
The 49ers want to get revenge for defeats in NFC title games. The Lions aim to make their debut in the Super Bowl.

Williams asserted, “I wasn’t aware of this scenario,” saying he couldn’t remember where or what he had wagered on.

The former standout player for Alabama claimed he was notified of the punishment the day before it was made public last month. He missed a significant portion of his first campaign due to a knee ailment.

It has been a while since there have been many gambling violations in the league. Calvin Ridley, a wide receiver with the Atlanta Falcons, was fined for betting on NFL games during the 2022 season before being allowed to return. Josh Shaw, a cornerback with the Arizona Cardinals, was suspended in 2019 for betting on an NFL game. He hasn’t participated in the league since.

Lions coach Dan Campbell stated, Right now, the league is the focus. It’s a significant issue. Our participants are aware. We’ve made an effort to emphasize that. Without a doubt, we continued to do so after that and a few more times.

Williams admitted to being ignorant of the NFL’s gambling policies, but he still took ownership of his expensive behavior.

I violated a rule,he declared. I essentially ignored those things.

NOTES: In an attempt to push or maybe replace Michael Badgley, the Lions acquired Riley Patterson from Jacksonville for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2026, sparking contention at the position of kicker. RB Following their injuries on Thursday, LB Malcom Rodriguez and David Montgomery quit training. In a non-contact practice, Montgomery—who inked a three-year, $18 million contract in the offseason—seemed to have injured his lower left leg.