Allen Park — After some offseason optimism that the Detroit Lions would get former All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph back on the field in the early stages of the 2026 campaign, those hopes took a hit this week when coach Dan Campbell offered a less-encouraging outlook on the player.
“Well, I wish I could make you feel good,” Campbell said during a Tuesday interview with 97.1-FM. “I can’t make you feel good. It’s going to come as it comes, and he’s not ready. We’re trying to get him there as fast as we can, and we’re trying to be as smart about it as we can. And if he’s ready, when he’s ready, of course we want to play him and get him on the field.”
Asked what would need to change for Joseph to return to action, Campbell replied, “I guess nothing.”
Coming up on a year since Joseph last played in a game and more than nine months since he was even a limited participant in a practice, Joseph’s future is once again in the spotlight.
To address some of the oft-repeated questions regarding the talented safety, here’s a pre-emptive Q&A about what we know.
Q: Why did the Lions re-sign Joseph if they knew he was injured?
A: According to general manager Brad Holmes, the team had no foresight into the current issue. Here’s what Holmes said in January:
“Oh no, it’s just — it’s one of those things that just popped up on us. It just happened. It sucks when it happens like that, but it does, so all we can do is just adjust and see how healthy he can get. I know he is (trying), and just move forward. I wouldn’t call it a ‘miss,’ as if we knew that and then we did that.”
I’m inclined to believe the organization wouldn’t commit a market-resetting, long-term deal to any player if there were immediate concerns that showed up months later.
However, there are things that jump out about the contract’s structure, most notably the guarantees, that suggest the Lions were wary of potential problems further down the road.
Among the 10 largest safety contracts, by annual average value, Joseph’s 27.2% fully guaranteed is the lowest. When you factor in an additional $13 million in injury guarantees, the total guaranteed percentage is the second-lowest to only Green Bay’s Xavier McKinney.
With the added injury assurance, Joseph’s deal still only had 42.5% guaranteed. Compare that to Kyle Hamilton (81.7%) and Derwin James (72.1%), two other top safeties who signed four-year deals within months of Joseph.
Q: What is the established timeline with Joseph’s injury?