The Detroit Lions‘ injury status on safety Kerby Joseph has been a major question mark this year. Joseph last played for the Lions on October 12, 2025. As the team gets closer to a year since his injury, questions have picked up about a potential timeline for his return.
When head coach Dan Campbell joined Jim Costa of 97.1 The Ticket for his weekly phone interview, he did not give a strong update on Joseph. The way that Campbell framed it, we might not see Joseph play for the Lions again.
When asked what Campbell would tell fans who think that Joseph will not play again, Campbell was open.
“Well, I wish I could make you feel good,” Campbell said. “I can’t make you feel good. It’s going to come as it comes, and he is not ready. We’re trying to get him there as fast as we can, and we are trying to be as smart about it as we can. And if he’s ready, when he’s ready, of course we want to play him and get him on the field.”
Campbell was then asked what could possibly change between now and his potential return to the field. That is when Campbell gave the most daunting answer.
“I guess nothing,” Campbell said firmly.
The interview changed direction after that. It is hard to find a firm takeaway from the answer, but it is clear that Campbell does not feel optimistic about Joseph playing this year, and potentially ever again.
Detroit Lions Give Uncertain Update on Safety Kerby Joseph
Joseph is now eligible to practice after being placed on the PUP. The day prior to the interview, Campbell made it clear that Joseph was not close to getting on the practice field. He also stated that teammate Brian Branch was closer to practicing than Joseph.
Branch tore his Achilles late in the 2025 season. He was expected to miss the majority of the 2026 season. This summer, Campbell said that if Branch came back before December, the team would view it as a win.
So, if his timeline is ahead of Joseph’s, there is a real chance we will not be seeing Joseph until December. Still, Branch had what was expected to be an injury with a longer timeline, and he got hurt later in the year. If he returns before Joseph, it will set off alarms for Lions fans.
Lions Have No Update on Joseph
Before training camp, Joseph said that he expected to start the season on the active roster, avoiding the PUP. When he was placed on the PUP, he initially did not expect to stay on the inactive list for long.
However, that was the last time we heard from Joseph, and that was back in the summer. Joseph signed a four-year, $86M extension after the 2024 season. The former All-Pro has only played in six games since he signed the extension. Detroit will not be able to get out of his deal until after the 2028 season.
Lions HC Dan Campbell Gives Ominous Kerby Joseph Update