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Detroit Lions fans hoping for a definitive update on Kerby Joseph’s status received an honest, if somewhat unsettling, answer from Dan Campbell on Thursday.
Months after a knee injury ended Joseph’s 2025 season, the Lions still do not know exactly how the All-Pro safety’s recovery will translate once football activities resume.
Speaking before OTA practice in Allen Park, Campbell acknowledged that the organization remains in wait-and-see mode.
Joseph has been one of Detroit’s most important defensive players over the past several seasons, making his recovery one of the biggest storylines of the offseason.
Unfortunately, Campbell admitted the Lions still don’t have many concrete answers.
“I don’t know. I honestly do not know,” Campbell said as quoted by Pride of Detroit. “I know this: we’ve done everything we can do, and he’s done everything he can do to this point.”
The uncertainty stems from the fact that Joseph has not yet returned to football-related activities. While the Lions have closely monitored his rehabilitation process, they simply won’t know how the knee responds until he begins pushing it on the field.
According to Campbell, the Lions have intentionally avoided rushing Joseph back into action.
The organization believes there is little benefit to testing the knee during June practices when the goal is having him available later in the year.
“We are trying to be as smart as we can and not push this until we absolutely have to, because once we’ve done that, then we’ll know one way or another,” Campbell said.
For now, the focus remains on treatment, strengthening, and exploring every possible avenue to aid the recovery process.
“And it’s not worth it right now. We’re just slowly building, continuing to strengthen there. He’s getting treatment; he’s done some of these different things in different places to try and help.”
Campbell made it clear that neither the team nor Joseph have left any stone unturned.
“So I feel good about that. I feel good about that we’ve done everything we can and so has he.”
As for when answers may finally come?
Campbell indicated that could still be weeks away.
“So we won’t know. Honestly, we probably won’t know until we get into the thick of training camp.”
The uncertainty surrounding Joseph is one reason Brad Holmes aggressively addressed the safety position this offseason.
Detroit added Christian Izien and Chuck Clark while also bringing back veteran Avonte Maddox. Those additions provide valuable insurance while Joseph and Brian Branch continue their recoveries.
One player who has already caught Campbell’s attention is Izien.
“I like Izien a lot. We played against him. He’s a pretty headsy player. He’s pretty violent. See ball, hit ball.”
Campbell believes there is still room for growth in Izien’s game, particularly on the back end of the defense.
“He hasn’t done a ton on the backend with depth, so those are things we’re working through. But I feel like those are things he can do.”
Most importantly, Campbell sees a player who belongs.
“But there again, we won’t know until we get into it in real time. But I know he’s got some football player to him.”
While Joseph’s status remains uncertain, Campbell expressed confidence in the overall depth of the position group.
“I really like that group. I really like that group.”
The Lions coach then rattled off several players who will be competing for roles when training camp begins.
“You talk about going into training camp, Chuck Clark, Maddox, Izzy, there’s a ton of guys back there that’ll be competing. We’ve got (Thomas) Harper back, Dan Jackson is coming off injury, Strick-nine (Loren Strickland) is there.”
Campbell believes the blend of youth and experience has created one of the more competitive position groups on the roster.
“So it’s a pretty competitive group, with some young players and then with some heady veteran guys.”
The Lions would obviously prefer to have Kerby Joseph healthy and patrolling the secondary alongside Brian Branch when the season begins.
However, Thursday’s update reinforced the reality that Detroit still does not know what Joseph’s availability will look like moving forward.
The encouraging news is that both the organization and Joseph continue to attack the rehabilitation process from every angle.
The difficult news is that meaningful answers may not arrive until training camp.
For now, patience remains the Lions’ only option.
Continue reading...
Months after a knee injury ended Joseph’s 2025 season, the Lions still do not know exactly how the All-Pro safety’s recovery will translate once football activities resume.
Speaking before OTA practice in Allen Park, Campbell acknowledged that the organization remains in wait-and-see mode.
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Lions Still Facing Uncertainty With Kerby Joseph
Joseph has been one of Detroit’s most important defensive players over the past several seasons, making his recovery one of the biggest storylines of the offseason.
Unfortunately, Campbell admitted the Lions still don’t have many concrete answers.
“I don’t know. I honestly do not know,” Campbell said as quoted by Pride of Detroit. “I know this: we’ve done everything we can do, and he’s done everything he can do to this point.”
The uncertainty stems from the fact that Joseph has not yet returned to football-related activities. While the Lions have closely monitored his rehabilitation process, they simply won’t know how the knee responds until he begins pushing it on the field.
Why Detroit Is Taking a Patient Approach
According to Campbell, the Lions have intentionally avoided rushing Joseph back into action.
The organization believes there is little benefit to testing the knee during June practices when the goal is having him available later in the year.
“We are trying to be as smart as we can and not push this until we absolutely have to, because once we’ve done that, then we’ll know one way or another,” Campbell said.
For now, the focus remains on treatment, strengthening, and exploring every possible avenue to aid the recovery process.
“And it’s not worth it right now. We’re just slowly building, continuing to strengthen there. He’s getting treatment; he’s done some of these different things in different places to try and help.”
Campbell made it clear that neither the team nor Joseph have left any stone unturned.
“So I feel good about that. I feel good about that we’ve done everything we can and so has he.”
As for when answers may finally come?
Campbell indicated that could still be weeks away.
“So we won’t know. Honestly, we probably won’t know until we get into the thick of training camp.”
Lions Believe They Have Reinforcements Ready
The uncertainty surrounding Joseph is one reason Brad Holmes aggressively addressed the safety position this offseason.
Detroit added Christian Izien and Chuck Clark while also bringing back veteran Avonte Maddox. Those additions provide valuable insurance while Joseph and Brian Branch continue their recoveries.
One player who has already caught Campbell’s attention is Izien.
“I like Izien a lot. We played against him. He’s a pretty headsy player. He’s pretty violent. See ball, hit ball.”
Campbell believes there is still room for growth in Izien’s game, particularly on the back end of the defense.
“He hasn’t done a ton on the backend with depth, so those are things we’re working through. But I feel like those are things he can do.”
Most importantly, Campbell sees a player who belongs.
“But there again, we won’t know until we get into it in real time. But I know he’s got some football player to him.”
A Safety Room Built on Competition
While Joseph’s status remains uncertain, Campbell expressed confidence in the overall depth of the position group.
“I really like that group. I really like that group.”
The Lions coach then rattled off several players who will be competing for roles when training camp begins.
“You talk about going into training camp, Chuck Clark, Maddox, Izzy, there’s a ton of guys back there that’ll be competing. We’ve got (Thomas) Harper back, Dan Jackson is coming off injury, Strick-nine (Loren Strickland) is there.”
Campbell believes the blend of youth and experience has created one of the more competitive position groups on the roster.
“So it’s a pretty competitive group, with some young players and then with some heady veteran guys.”
Why This Matters
The Lions would obviously prefer to have Kerby Joseph healthy and patrolling the secondary alongside Brian Branch when the season begins.
However, Thursday’s update reinforced the reality that Detroit still does not know what Joseph’s availability will look like moving forward.
The encouraging news is that both the organization and Joseph continue to attack the rehabilitation process from every angle.
The difficult news is that meaningful answers may not arrive until training camp.
For now, patience remains the Lions’ only option.
Continue reading...
