If Kerby Joseph does not return to his old form this season, the Detroit Lions are going to have a tough decision to make in the 2026 offseason. Colton Pouncey of The Athletic laid out why Joseph is the Lions player with the most on the line in 2026.
“But after missing 11 games with a knee injury — one that Dan Campbell said the organization won’t have an update on until training camp — there are reasons to be concerned about the investment,” wrote Pouncey. “If the knee injury is indeed chronic in nature, it could force the Lions to explore their options after 2026. The Lions would love nothing more than for Joseph to return to form, but it makes the upcoming season a crucial one for the ball-hawking safety.”
The best case would be Joseph returning healthy for both sides. However, the Lions are quickly going to be forced to face the reality of life if he does not return.
The Detroit Lions Have a Tough Decision to Make With Kerby Joseph After 2026
GettyLions safety Kerby Joseph.
Joseph has only played in six games since signing a four-year extension, and there is already talk about how much longer they can keep him. The issue for him is that the knee injury he has appears to be chronic, and there is not much more valuable information surrounding it.
So, the team has to assume that it could impact the rest of his career. He might not even be available, making it an easy decision. On the flip side, his availability could vary and become unreliable. That is what will force the Lions to make a decision.
If they released Joseph after this year, they would eat nearly $13M in dead cap space. It would lead to more than $4M in a cap hit in 2027 from his actual cap hit. However, they would save more than $4M in 2028, and they would remove themselves from the concerns.
Still, this does buy the team a year. The Lions could keep Joseph for one year and let him try to get healthy. They would have to add starting competition and assume he is not in the long-term plans. Then, after 2027, the team would have to get rid of him.
When Joseph signed his four-year deal in 2025, nobody thought the talk would be about whether 2027 or 2028 is the year that the team gets rid of him. However, it appears the team is here.
The Lions Enter the 2026 Season Thin At Safety
If Joseph is unable to get on the field in 2026, the team has to get aggressive to get starting help at the position. They are entering 2026 far too thin at safety. Some of this has to do with Brian Branch also being injured. That is unlikely to be the case next year.
Still, the Lions have no real options for starting beside him right now. Christian Izien and Avonte Maddox look more like depth behind Branch than players who can step into the role that Joseph played.
Chuck Clark is the most likely candidate to start in Week 1 if Joseph does not play. However, this is a veteran who only has a couple of years left. He is a stopgap replacement and not an actual fit for the team moving forward. So, there is a chance the Lions will look into drafting a safety next year.
That pick could end up coming earlier than Joseph would like. If that happens, the team might not initially cut Joseph, but his days on the roster are going to be numbered.
Lions Already Facing Tough Kerby Joseph Decision