Kerby Joseph is inching closer to a return after a six-game absence, but Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell indicated the Pro Bowl safety could be dealing with knee pain for years to come.
"I don’t think it’s necessarily going away, but I think you do the best you can to manage it," Campbell said Sunday, Nov. 30. "It’s like a lot of these guys that have gotten some injuries here or deals with could be cartilage or meniscus or anything like that, it’s you do your best to manage it and there’ll always be a little wear and tear and it’s just how bad is it?"
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJoseph, who signed a four-year, $86 million contract extension this offseason, has not played since a Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs because of pain in his knee.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) makes a catch against Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) during the first half at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025.JEFF SEIDEL: Matt Patricia finally gets signature win in Michigan – for Ohio State
He injured his knee in training camp, suffered a bone bruise in the same knee in a Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns and tried to play through the injury the next two weeks before the Lions shut him down to try and get him healthy for the stretch run.
Campbell said a bone bruise was only part of Joseph's injury and that he's "also just he’s got some wear" in the joint.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"He’s got a little wear, that’s all," Campbell said.
Asked how much of Joseph's absence has been a pain tolerance issue, Campbell said, "A lot of it is just trying to get some stability in the leg and get some strength, get some stability which in turn will help some of the pain but also some of the wear and tear."
"The stronger you get it in there it stabilizes so it doesn’t wear out as fast, or create that kind of pain with it," he said. "That’s really what a lot of it is right now."
The Lions (7-5) opted not to place Joseph on injured reserve, which would have mandated at least a four-week absence, and have been playing shorthanded in their secondary for more than a month.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJoseph led the NFL with nine interceptions last season and the Lions made him the highest-paid safety this spring by signing him to a contact that included a $10 million signing bonus and has a $9.625 million option bonus for 2026.
Campbell said Joseph, who has a team-high three interceptions in six games this year, would take part in the Lions' walk-through Sunday and is "closer than he was before" to returning to the field.
The Lions host the Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) in an important game Thursday (8:15 p.m., Prime Video) that could have a significant impact on the Lions' playoff hopes.
"He’s close, we’ll know a lot more really tomorrow," Campbell said. "But he is getting better, like we said. He gets better every week."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kerby Joseph injury update: Detroit Lions S 'close,' still feels pain
AdvertisementAdvertisement
