After undergoing hip surgery for an injury he suffered last season, Kerby Joseph is feeling better -- and bigger -- than ever. He said this week on NFL Network that he's fully healthy and will be ready to go for training camp: "That hip's not nothin', for real. Last season I played through the injury and it was there, but I feel 10 times better now, so I just can't wait to get out there."
He also said he "gained 15 pounds this (off)season, so I'm looking to come in a bit more hefty."
The Lions safety has big plans in year three of his career. Personally, Joseph intends to add to his pile of picks after snaring eight interceptions over his first two seasons. Asked which quarterbacks are on his hit list after getting Aaron Rodgers three times in year one and Justin Herbert in year two, Joseph said, "Everybody on the hit list. Every quarterback I go against."
"Because it's amazing to catch an interception in the NFL, it's a big moment. Going against Aaron Rodgers and catching interceptions against him, that's just big. I just want 'em all," he said.
As a team, the Lions want the same thing. After they reached the NFC title game last season, they have Super Bowl or Bust expectations in 2024. "The fact that we got that far shows that we can do this," Joseph said. And the hype "just goes to show that we're here."
"The Lions, we're not the same no more. We're just coming for it all. We want to change the narrative around the organization and just showcase for the fans and for the city," he said.
Joseph, 23, also addressed his low hit on Tyler Higbee in the Lions' wild card win over the Rams last season. Higbee tore his ACL on the play, after which Matthew Stafford got in Joseph's face and accused him of being dirty.
"I mean, everybody's going to have their opinions," Joseph said. "For one, I don't care. You're not gonna hurt my feelings or anything. I feel like with the hit -- prayers out to him and his family, nobody wants to get injured -- that just comes with the league office. They don't want us to hit 'em up high. I made a hit one time up high and I got fined for it. So now it's like, if you stay below the belt you won't get fined, and that's just what it's forcing us to do."
Joseph went on to say that especially for defensive backs, the NFL's new rules around tackling are "eliminating our play, especially with the new hip-drop tackle."
"We have to make a very concerted effort just to make a tackle, and football has never been like that," he said. "Like, I play defense, one, because I like to hit and I like to tackle. I feel like that just takes away from all the aggression."
