Detroit Lions’ backfield has been feeling the heat early this season, and one of the biggest reasons is the absence of Kerby Joseph, whose lingering knee injury has kept him on the PUP list. He has been dealing with the injury since last year, with no definite answer to his future on the gridiron— at least for now.
With doubt casting over his future, Dr. Jeff S. Pierce from the Michigan Sports and Spine Center recently gave his Outlook on Joseph’s injury and his prolonged battle off the field.
Dr. Pierce Explains the Science Behind Kerby Joseph’s Knee Injury
Dr. Pierce was recently a guest on an episode of the Woodwards Sports Network, where the host and former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards asked for the expert’s take on the Kerby Joseph injury situation and where things currently stand, considering it is already in Week 3 of the regular season.
“Well, I mean we could get real biologic. We can get real scientific. It’s bone spurs. Is it bruising? Is it where part of the cartilage has been worn off more? So degenerative is just a generic term for arthritis, right?” said Dr. Pierce. “So you have degenerative spurring. You tore your rotator cuff, or you tore a ligament in your knee. It’s because you have degenerative changes, which is microtrauma when we really break it down.“
“It’s microtrauma over the years, and the body has a way of self-healing. So when you start self-healing, it doesn’t always. It’s not smooth and sharp. It just self-heals. So you, that’s how you get what we call, ‘Oh, I have bone spurs, Doc. I have bone spurs in my foot and my knee and my shoulder.’ It’s true. It’s a rough edge.“
“So if you think of it like a thorn and the ligament’s going over that thorn consistently, you eventually wear a hole into that ligament. Is that what’s going on here?” he continued. ” That’s not how the degenerative term is being used. For him, it’s previous injuries. Again, talking about microtrauma over the years, you had a trauma to your knee. You’re now at risk factor for early degenerative changes.”
As he remains on the PUP list, it appears he could be sitting there for quite a while, especially after Dan Campbell’s recent update on the star safety.
Dan Campbell Has Little To Offer On Kerby Joseph’s Return Timeline
Earlier this week, coach Dan Campbell sat down for a radio interview with 97.1 The Ticket, where he was asked about Kerby Joseph’s amid the poor showing of the Lions’ secondary early in the new season. The 50-year-old didn’t give any reassurance about his return status.
“I wish I could make you feel good. I can’t make you feel good. It’s going to come as it comes, and he’s not ready,“ Campbell said, sharing the concerning news.
However, Joseph is not giving up hope, with NFL Insider Tom Pelissero recently confirming that the safety is eager to suit up this season. If the Lions’ secondary can get the much-needed boost later in the season, it could give them a significant shot in the arm.
Lions’ Kerby Joseph Gets Doctor’s Take on His Injury Amid NFL Future Questions