The Lions won't have a clear outlook on Kerby Joseph for another few weeks, but this much they know: he's unlikely to be ready for the start of the season.
Dan Campbell said Wednesday as the Lions opened training camp that the Lions don't plan to push Joseph's damaged knee until sometime in the middle of camp and that "everything I told you in the spring still applies." That is, the Lions have to see how his knee responds to practice and they don't want to stress it earlier than they need to.
Are you worried about Kerby Joseph's 2026 status? pic.twitter.com/Y9iWUfwhWC
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The star safety is dealing with a degenerative knee issue that's beyond the point of surgical repair. It threatens not only this season for Joseph but the rest of his career. He did not play in the Lions' final 11 games last year despite a couple attempts to return.
"To me, if we got him back for the first game, that would be a bonus," Campbell said. "That would be like, ‘Wo.’ OK, I don’t expect that, I’m not looking for that. I feel like he’s more on the (Brian) Branch plan a little bit, and that’s if everything goes well and goes according to plan with him and we got everything on our side. But he’s doing well."
The other half of what was the best safety tandem in the NFL in 2024, Branch is doing well in his recovery from a torn Achilles and could start practicing "late training camp, early September," said Campbell. That would put him on track to return sometime in late September or early October. Sounds like the timeline is similar for Joseph.
Kerby Joseph might need to log off social media pic.twitter.com/pi4sw00WrY
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Campbell said that Joseph has progressed to running on ground and is starting to do some change of direction drills, "but we're not going to grind this for another 2 or 3 weeks, man. So I cannot give you a true answer (as to when he'll be ready)."
"He’s working his tail off, he has not really had a vacation, he’s been here with our guys busting his tail, so he’s putting in the work," said Campbell. "He feels pretty good right now. But we got a long way to go and there’s still an unknown. But I like where he’s at."
