Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has once again been penalized by the NFL this season, though his latest infraction is less severe by comparison.
The league fined Williams $11,255 for unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting) during the Lions’ Week 16 win over the Chicago Bears.
Early in the game, Williams caught a five-yard pass from quarterback Jared Goff and ran for a first down. However, after the play, Williams and Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson had a sideline exchange that ended with Williams spinning the football at Stevenson’s feet.
The Lions were assessed a 15-yard penalty for the incident, and head coach Dan Campbell gave Williams an earful on the sidelines.
“Like anybody, he needed an a**-chewing,” Campbell told former Lions offensive lineman T.J. Lang after the game.
This wasn’t the first time Williams and Stevenson have clashed.
During the fourth quarter of the Lions’ Thanksgiving game, Williams drew a 15-yard penalty for taunting Stevenson. After catching a pass from Goff, Williams tossed the football into the cornerback’s face, prompting the flag.
The penalty gave the Bears a chance to stay in the game and mount a comeback, but they ultimately fell short, losing 23-20. About a week later, the NFL fined Stevenson $19,697 for his involvement in the incident after cameras appeared to show the defender tripping Williams as he got to his feet.
Despite the repeated incidents, Stevenson said there’s no lingering animosity between the two.
“There’s no bad blood, no nothing. It’s a game of football,” Stevenson said after Sunday’s game. “Attitudes and testosterone take a part of it. But other than that, nothing. I don’t know him. I don’t want to get to know him. That’s it. We just — he play for the Lions. I play for the Bears. That’s it.”
In addition to facing scrutiny for firearm possession — an investigation the Detroit Police Department has since closed without finding any wrongdoing — the NFL suspended Williams for two games after he tested positive for performance-enhancing substances.
