Kerby Joseph's season might be over.
Ailed for most of the year by a lingering knee injury, Joseph was unable to practice Thursday and Friday after returning to practice Wednesday and is unlikely to play Sunday against the NFC-leading Rams.
"Kerby had a setback," Dan Campbell said Friday.
It marks the second week in a row that Joseph got in one practice in limited capacity, only to be held out of the next two. His knee just hasn't responded to the activity the way anyone would like.
"It just bothers him, that’s the best way to say it," said Campbell.
Joseph hasn't played since the Lions' Week 6 loss to the Chiefs when he re-injured his knee, which he originally banged up in their Week 4 win over the Browns after suffering a separate knee injury in training camp.
Asked if the All-Pro safety is a candidate at this point for injured reserve, which would sideline him for the rest of the regular season, Campbell said, "Could be."
"We’re at the backend of the season now, so even if it’s not technically long-term it becomes long-term because we don’t have many games left," said Campbell.
With Joseph's status murky and fellow star safety Brian Branch done for the season with a torn Achilles, the Lions' starting safeties are Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox. Harper left last Thursday's win over the Cowboys with a concussion, but returned to practice this week and is expected to play Sunday.
Behind those two, the Lions also have Daniel Thomas, Erick Hallett and recently-signed veterans Jalen Mills and Damontae Kazee.
"We’ve got plenty of guys," said Campbell. "They’re getting valuable reps, so we’re good."