Jameson Williams, Nicholas Petit-Frere reinstated by NFL after gambling suspensions
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams and Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere will be immediately reinstated ahead of Week 5 of the NFL season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Both players had suspensions shortened as a result of the league tweaking its gambling policy.
Both players were suspended for six games to start the 2023 season due to violating the league gambling policy. They will now get to rejoin their teams two weeks ahead of when they were originally projected to.
Both Williams and Petit-Frere are in their second NFL seasons. The Titans play the Cincinnati Bengals and the Lions play the Carolina Panthers in Week 5.
The NFL modified the gambling policy to make a first violation for non-NFL gambling a two-game suspension and a second violation a six-game infraction. Williams and Petit-Frere both bet on non-NFL games but violated rules about betting in and around team facilities, earning six-game suspensions.
Gambling on an NFL game is now an automatic one-year suspension, and two years for a player betting on their own team. Game fixing can result in a lifetime banishment.
Williams’ return might kick off a season of good feelings in Detroit
The Lions are 3-1 and got news of Williams’ reinstatement less than 24 hours after thumping the Green Bay Packers, 34-20, on Thursday night at Lambeau Field.
After the loss, Packers quarterback Jordan Love said the Lions are likely the team to beat in the NFC North going forward.
“Credit to them, they played really good,” Love said. “Yeah, I think it was us and them going into this game. Obviously we haven’t played the Vikings yet, but every time we play a North opponent it’s a huge game, going forward to the end of the year. It’s a game that we’ll be looking forward to next time we play them. We’ve got to be better and go win.”
For the evening, the Lions outrushed the Packers 211-27. Both teams got back their starting running backs from injury. But it was Detroit’s David Montgomery who dazzled with 120 yards. Meanwhile, Aaron Jones ran five times for 18 yards. The Packers only had 12 runs. The score got so lopsided that Green Bay went to its catch-up mode offense. Jordan Love completed 23 of his 36 passes for 246 yards. But the Lions, with 43 attempts, had almost four times as many running plays as the Packers.