Lions wanted Jameson Williams’ extension done sooner, but are delighted to secure WR till 2029

Allen Park — Jameson Williams has come a long way in his first three seasons with the Detroit Lions.

And the franchise rewarded him for his development, as well as the electrifying wide receiver’s potential. The Lions and Williams have agreed to a three-year contract deal that will keep the receiver in Detroit until 2029.

Dan Campbell stated that the Lions had wanted to finalise Williams’ deal far sooner than the eve of Week 1. However, the coach is pleased to have one of his top playmakers rewarded and locked up for the future.

“Glad to get it done, Jamo’s come a long way,” Campbell added. “We expect a lot more from him, too. It’s good.

Green Bay’s defence shut down Williams and the rest of the offence in the opener. The 24-year-old had four catches for 23 yards and one rush for 3 yards in the 27-13 loss.

But Williams was not the issue, as the rushing attack suffered one of its worst days in recent memory. And the problems of the offensive line prevented Lions quarterback Jared Goff from throwing deep, while the Packers kept everything in front of them.

“That means a lot. “It’s like a long-awaited milestone,” Williams told reporters after the game. “There’s nothing amazing. It’s done, and I’m simply ready to move on and be with my brothers.

“I’m grateful to the organisation for giving me the opportunity to continue for another year and everything. My concentration is on the season.”

Goff was forced to rely heavily on checkdowns, with the running backs accounting for 14 of his completions. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 14 receptions for 49 yards during the dismal performance.

The Lions are hopeful Williams’ speed can return to open things up for the rest of the offence. Williams is coming off his first 1,000-yard season, during which he established himself as one of the NFL’s top deep threats.

But the Packers snatched it all away last weekend. They also limited Amon-Ra St. Brown’s opportunities and anything outside the line of scrimmage for the majority of the day.

Scottie Montgomery, the team’s assistant head coach and receivers coach, believes everything will start to come together. The Lions understand what they have in St. Brown: an ultra-dependable third-down killer and two-time All-Pro wideout.

They also know Williams has evolved in all the right ways, and when they can leverage his speed and deeper route tree, additional opportunities will arise.

“One of the first things that I saw, and I’ve talked about it a little bit, but, you know, this offseason, he was in here before I was in here,” Montgomery said when asked about Williams. “He was in town when I wasn’t, which is typical for a developing young player. When the offseason arrives, they often flee, right? But he worked. He worked on his physique physically, and then he has just been answerable to us in the building, particularly in the room and on the pitch.

“You’ve witnessed his fundamental growth, the things that we expect to be able to do with him here in the future. Simply play the preseason tapes from last year and the previous year. Simply observe his one-on-ones, seven-on-sevens, and the evolution of his character and strength. And you’ve seen how he’s improved. So terrific for him and the organisation.”