Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph started training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list. While head coach Dan Campbell said that he would feel good if Joseph were back by Week 1, Joseph has been much more optimistic than his coach.
The fifth-year safety told media members that he was super optimistic about his health status and ability to get back on the field.
“I’m super optimistic, man,” said Joseph. “I never gave up; all I do is work.”
Joseph had more to say, but the overall vibe from the discussion was that Joseph feels he can return much sooner than the Lions currently do.
Kerby Joseph Remains Optimistic Despite Detroit Lions Putting Him on PUP
GettyKerby Joseph
This is not the first time that Joseph has been more optimistic than the team. Just a week before training camp, Joseph said that he would bet anyone that he would not start training camp on the PUP. However, the Lions currently have Joseph on the PUP, so he would have lost that bet.
What makes the situation even more complicated is the idea that the issue is not a typical knee injury. It is a chronic issue. So, Joseph could feel fine right now, but doctors could be seeing something completely different that could change his status soon.
The Lions will have to be careful about how and when they bring Joseph back, because it could be hard to tell when issues will come back up.
So, Joseph might expect to be back in the next week or so, but the Lions are thinking that he will not return until much closer to the season. It is easy to see why the two sides are on different timelines.
Lions Safety Room Remains Unresolved Entering Season
The issue is that in addition to Joseph being injured, the team is not expected to have Brian Branch until the second half of the season at the earliest. Campbell said that Week 1 would be a fine timeline for Joseph to return, but said that December was a more realistic date for Branch.
So, the team has a chance of entering the year without its top two safeties.
The Lions signed Christian Izien, and he is looking to replace Branch for the time being. However, he also started the year on the PUP, although it is not expected to last as long as the others.
Detroit also signed Chuck Clark in free agency, and he is likely to step into the role that Joseph would assume when he is healthy.
The team also has Avonte Maddox, who is getting looks with the first team due to the injury to Izien. Behind him are Thomas Harper, Dan Jackson, and Loren Strickland. So, they have depth, but not many of them have the starting experience or potential that Joseph and Branch do.
The hope is that Joseph can get back as soon as he says and improve the safety room. However, all indications are that this might not be the case.
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