Lions fans fired up as Jameson Williams opens 2025 NFL season with huge extension

Lions reward Jameson Williams with huge payday ahead of 2025 NFL season

Detroit wasted no time rewarding Williams, 24, following a breakout campaign in which we saw him set (by far) career-best marks across the board. He was entering the fourth year of his rookie pact, which included a $15.493 million fifth-year club option that the Lions exercised in April. Nevertheless, Holmes and Campbell are ostensibly trying to get ahead of the curve and save themselves some money in the long run.

With a $27.6 million average annual value, Williams becomes the 13th highest-paid receiver in the league. This may seem like a steep investment for someone who barely cracked 1,000 receiving yards for the first time as a pro (1,001). Yet, his combination of age, pedigree, upward trajectory and the confidence Detroit has shown in him from Day 1 makes it a palatable, forward-thinking transaction.

This is the same Lions brain trust that aggressively moved up 20 spots to select Williams with the No. 12 overall pick in 2022. They haven't wavered on their stance despite off-field and injury concerns. Campbell is constantly heaping praise on the speedy wideout for his continued growth and maturation, both as a player and an individual.

An electrifying talent with game-breaking speed and explosiveness, Williams is an ideal complement to Lions All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The former takes the lid off opposing defenses and keeps them honest, while the latter typically feasts from the slot. With both signed through at least 2028, they'll continue to operate harmoniously alongside each other for the foreseeable future.

Only the Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts averaged more yards per reception (22.3) than Williams (17.3) in 2024. It speaks to Jamo's field-stretching prowess, but he's also improved mightily in the short-to-intermediate areas.