The Detroit Lions offseason is here. The team has a lot of decisions to make this year when it comes to the roster. They’ll have some extensions to work out and they’ll have new deals to get together for some of their free agents. 

Then there’s one really big thing that needs to be figured out and that’s what the decision is going to be on receiver Jameson Williams. Does the team opt to go with the fifth-year option, or do they go with an extension for him? 

You might think the decision is super easy. Go with an extension right? The Lions got a big season out of him where he put up over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. I’ve certainly started leaning this way more and more during the season, but I’m not the one with the checkbook. 

We can’t ignore that Williams had a suspension this season and then was part of an internal investigation by the Detroit Police for being in possession of a gun not too long after that. 

This comes a year after the gambling suspension and a year after the ACL injury. While you and I might think it’s not a big deal, the Lions have a lot of reasons to think that it is. 

With all that in mind, the Lions might give Williams the fifth-year option and then see if Williams can play a full year with no outside interruptions, suspension, or otherwise. Then if he does, they’ll hit him with the biggest contract he’s ever seen. 

Either way it works out, the good news is the Lions want to be in the Jameson Williams business and they do feel like there’s been personal and professional growth there. Just a couple of weeks ago Lions head coach Dan Campbell got a bit choked up when he talked about how proud of Williams that he is and how much he loves him. 

Don’t look at this as a chance that the Lions could lose Williams or want to lose him. Look at it as the chance that the Lions might want to challenge Williams to show that he can handle the spotlight and everything that comes with it. From what we’ve seen, he can.