Kerby Joseph was on top of the world.
A first-team All-Pro selection and the NFL's reigning interception leader, Joseph signed a four-year contract extension with the Detroit Lions in late April that made him the league's highest-paid safety.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSeven months later, there are serious questions about how much of that contract he'll see.
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) walks off the field due to an injury during the first half against Cleveland Browns at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025.Joseph returned to practice on a limited basis Monday, Dec. 1, for the first time in nearly two months and addressed the knee injury that's kept him out the past six games in a brief and somber exchange with reporters.
Joseph, wearing a balaclava on his head that covered his mouth, talked for just under 2 minutes and answered 14 questions with never more than a sentence.
"My knee messed up," Joseph said.
Asked how he can fix it, Joseph said, "You don’t fix it. You just keep the faith."
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJoseph missed time in training camp with a knee injury and suffered a bone bruise in the same spot in a Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Sunday, Nov. 30, that Joseph was dealing with "a little wear and tear" in his knee in addition to the bone bruise and indicated it could be a problem 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. "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?"
Joseph, 25, said he felt "blessed" to be back at practice and vowed, "If I’m out there I’m going to go 100%."
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) tackles Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar (88) during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025.But he did little to assuage concerns about the long-term health of his knee.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJoseph indicated the problem would not be fixed by offseason surgery. Asked how worried he is he's dealing with a chronic issue, he said, "Can’t be worried, I trust in God’s plan."
When healthy, Joseph has been one of the most productive defensive backs in the NFL and a key part of the Lions defense.
A third-round pick out of Illinois in 2022, Joseph led the Lions with four interceptions in each of his first two NFL seasons and had a career-high nine picks last year. He had three more interceptions during the Lions' 4-1 start this year and still leads the team in that category despite last playing in a Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard insisted Monday that the normally jovial Joseph was in good spirts and excited to return to practice. Before Monday, Joseph last practiced Oct. 3, two days before the Lions' Week 5 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Kerby’s doing great," Sheppard said. "He’s ready to get back. He was as upbeat as I’ve ever seen him last week, leading into the week, knowing that he’s scratching and clawing, hopefully it’s a chance we get him back pretty soon here. But Kerby’s good, man."
Joseph deleted his account on the social media platform X in recent days and erased pictures from his Instagram account. Early Monday morning, he posted a black screen with the words, "God help me," in an Instagram story.
He said "it's all God's plan" when he'll return for game action, and said he took down some of his social media "to lock in."
Asked for what he was locking in on, Joseph said, "Got to lock in on life."
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 provides bad injury update: 'My knee messed up'
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