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Jameson Williams may have signed an $83 million contract before last season, but he’s aiming for more.
The Detroit Lions wide receiver is reportedly suing the NCAA, Big Ten and SEC, claiming they used his name, image and likeness without compensating him.
Before being the 12th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Williams played at Alabama where he rose up the draft boards. He had played with Ohio State before playing for the Crimson Tide.
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Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia on November 16, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP)
“To date, Williams has received no fair compensation from Defendants for the full commercial value of his name, image and likeness. Defendants continually benefit financially from the rights to Jameson Williams’ name, image and likeness, while doing so without providing him with fair compensation,” the suit states, according to the California Post.
Williams also reportedly wants revenue he “reportedly received” from social media, as well as a portion of the game streaming group’s “licensing revenue.”
Alabama’s Jameson Williams is stopped during the first half of the College Football Playoff championship game against Georgia in Indianapolis on January 10, 2022. (Paul Sancya/AP)
The Browns are drafting another quarterback, making Shedeur Sanders’ starting job even less secure.
Williams was drafted into the NFL just months after college athletes were finally able to receive zero money. However, it asserts that the parties engaged in anticompetitive collusion, predatory pricing, monopolistic practices, and misleading trademarks in violation of the Cartwright Act, the Unfair Practices Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act, and the Lanham Act.
“Plaintiff received less – zero – than he otherwise would have received for the use of his name, image, and likeness in a competitive marketplace, and was therefore damaged, and he seeks to recover those damages,” Williams’ lawsuit reportedly said.
Williams’ NFL career didn’t get off to the most convenient start, as his torn ACL during the 2022 Nationals slightly hurt his draft stock. Returning from injury at the end of his rookie season, he was then suspended in 2023 for playing violations.
Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams runs to the sideline during a long pass reception against New Mexico State during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Nov. 13, 2021. (Vasha Hunt/AP)
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Since then, however, he has proven himself to be one of the game’s best playmakers, recording 123 catches for 2,118 yards and 15 total touchdowns over the past two seasons.
