When it rains, it pours for the Detroit Lions. Just hours after announcing that rookie wide receiver Kendrick Law had torn his ACL, the fans got more bad injury news, this time involving one of their veterans.
Safety Kerby Joseph suffered a knee injury in the Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. It's been long enough for him to be close to full strength, and he was always expected to get back on the field for Week 1.
However, it sounds like that might not be the case. At least, judging by Dan Campbell's comments, it looks like the Lions will have to wait until training camp to know where Joseph is truly at in his recovery:
"Dan Campbell on his expectations for Kerby Joseph (knee) this season: 'I don't know. I honestly do not know.' Says they've done everything they can and that they won't know until they get into the thick of training camp," Colton Pouncy of The Atlhetic shared on X.
The Lions should be worried about Kerby Joseph
To add insult to injury, Brian Branch is also out after tearing his Achilles tendon last season. They added Christian Izien and Chuck Clark in free agency and brought back Avonte Maddox, but that unit should still be a concern.
The Lions' defensive backfield will be a major talking point from start to finish. Amik Robertson is no longer there, and Roger McCreary could be a solid pickup, but there are also major doubts about whether Terrion Arnold can finally get it together after two disappointing seasons.
This team rolled the dice with an intriguing prospect in Keith Abney II, an undersized outside corner who plays bigger than his size and who could make a strong impact from day one if he keeps the penalties to a minimum. Still, he's a rookie, so banking all hopes on his contributions might not be wise.
Other than that, it looks like there are just way too many question marks on that side of the field. Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard could draw some head-coaching buzz after two years in charge of that unit, but he'll need his secondary to hold down the fort in the stacked NFC North -- a tall order that'll be way easier said than done, especially without their star safety roaming free.
Joseph's return is paramount for this team. He led the league with 9 interceptions in 2024 and had already picked off 3 passes before his season-ending injury in 2025, adding 18 tackles and one pass breakup. His nose for the ball and timing are among the best at the position, and this will be a situation to keep a close eye on for the remainder of the offseason.
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