Remember the Lions’ December 22 matchup against the Chicago Bears? Early in its 34-17 win in the game, this wide receiver of the Lions made a 5-yard catch on his team’s very first passing play, but it was what he did after that proved costly. The WR reeled in the pass before getting pushed out of bounds by the Bears’ defensive back, Tyrique Stevenson. As he returned to the field, he took a cheeky moment to spin the ball in front of the Bears sideline, drawing a costly taunting penalty.

The Lions would end up driving down the field for a successful field goal on their first possession of the game, but coach Dan Campbell was visibly unhappy about the off-field antics. Fox cameras caught Campbell giving him a tough talk before sending him back in. However, the WR bounced back after the penalty, with an 82-yard touchdown catch on a long throw from Lions’ quarterback Jared Goff. Though he was praised by Campbell for that later, the WR was fined $11,255 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Not even a month has passed after this. And it seems that the punishment did not change the ‘unsportsmanlike’ self of the WR!

On January 18, the rookie-led Washington Commanders overpowered Jared Goff and Co. in the divisional round, crushing their hope of a Super Bowl. Adding to that misery, the NFL operations division has punched Lions’ wide receiver, Jameson Williams with a fine. And it was for “Unsportsmanlike Conduct (obscene gestures)” during the game. This charge will make Jameson Williams’s purse lighter by $25,325. What did he come up with this time? 

Williams scored on a 61-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter to pull the Lions within three at 24-21. He somersaulted into the end zone, but it was his actions after getting into the end zone that ultimately drew the fine. Williams was not penalized on the field for his actions but it was expected that he was going to owe the NFL a few bucks. However, this marked was not the first time Williams was fined for a not-so-nice touchdown celebration.

In Week 4, he topped off a 70-yard scamper by dunking the ball over the crossbar during a 42-29 win over the Seahawks. The NFL took $14,069 from him that week. But, interestingly, it was Williams’ penalty during the Lions’ November matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars that brought back a piece of NFL history to the gridiron.

Williams was fined $19,697 by the NFL for “Unsportsmanlike Conduct (obscene gestures)” for his dive into the end zone during the Lions’ 52-6 win. It wasn’t just an ordinary dive. Williams paid tribute to Marshawn Lynch by diving backward into the end zone and grabbing his crotch — much like what the Seattle Seahawks great did following his 67-yard “BeastQuake” run during the 2011 NFC wild-card game. Lynch made the same move on Christmas Day 2014 after a 79-yard touchdown run, which ended up as the longest rush of his career. The NFL had fined him $11,050. Coming back to the Lions, before Williams’ fine slid into the franchise’s offseason, two important hits must have shocked the franchise.

Jared Goff’s Lions in a whirlwind after divisional blow

Jared Goff and Co’s offseason has started, but their two promising coaches have parted ways with Dan Campbell and the franchise. Aaron Glenn has moved out of Detroit and landed in New York. Glenn was a defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions from 2021 to 2024. But the Jets’ HC position was vacant and Aaron Glenn filled in the space. Surprisingly, Woody Johnson and Christopher Johnson drafted Glenn for the Jets in 1996. So, the past connection was also the reason he parted ways. 

Another blow after the season-ending loss to Dan Campbell and Jared Goff was Ben Johnson‘s departure. The 38-year-old Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Lions since 2022 but took a flight from Detroit to Chicago overnight. The Chicago Bears were desperately searching for an HC candidate and after interviewing dozens of coaches, they finally decided to hire Dan Campbell’s colleague as a head coach. That’s a great opportunity for Ben to have a team responsibility after a disastrous 2024 season and guide the first pick of the 2024 NFL drafts, Caleb Williams.

Well, the next NFL season is set to start on September 6, 2025. And even after the divisional loss, 30-year-old Goff has to start over again. Detroit should be excited for the upcoming season. Let’s see if they can clinch more wins in the first half of the regular season in 2025.