Kerby Joseph to Miss Ninth Straight Game vs. Steelers, Lions' Secondary Still Feeling His Absence
The Detroit Lions will once again be without All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph this Sunday as they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Joseph, sidelined by a nagging knee injury, is set to miss his ninth consecutive game - a stretch that began after Detroit’s October 12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite not seeing the field since that game, Joseph remains on the Lions’ 53-man roster. The team has opted against placing him on injured reserve, holding out hope that his knee pain - which dates back to a training camp injury and was aggravated by a bone bruise in Week 4 - would eventually fade enough for him to return. But that moment hasn’t come yet.
Joseph didn’t practice this week and was officially ruled out on the team’s weekly injury report, along with Gio Manu. Manu, who also suffered a knee injury in October, returned to practice this week but remains on injured reserve.
It’s a tough blow for a Lions defense that has been missing Joseph’s playmaking presence in the secondary. Even with limited action this season - just six games - he still leads the team with three interceptions.
That stat alone speaks volumes about his impact. When he’s on the field, Joseph has a knack for being around the ball, and his instincts have made him a rising star in Detroit’s defense.
And if there’s one quarterback Joseph has had a particular edge against, it’s Aaron Rodgers. Back in 2021, Joseph introduced himself to Rodgers - then with the Green Bay Packers - with two interceptions in their first meeting.
He picked him off again in the final game of that season, snagging what would be Rodgers’ last pass as a Packer. That kind of history adds a little extra intrigue whenever Joseph faces a Rodgers-led offense, which is exactly what the Lions were hoping for this week with Rodgers now under center for the Steelers.
But with Joseph out, Detroit’s secondary will have to find other ways to contain Pittsburgh’s offense - and do it without one of their best ballhawks.
The injury report didn’t stop with Joseph and Manu. Five Lions players are listed as questionable heading into Sunday: offensive linemen Graham Glasgow, Taylor Decker, Christian Mahogany, and Trystan Colon, along with cornerback Amik Robertson.
Robertson, dealing with a broken left hand, has already said he plans to play - club and all. It’s a gritty move for a defense that could use every healthy body it can get.
Meanwhile, Mahogany, who’s been recovering from a broken fibula, could be activated off injured reserve. If Glasgow can’t go, rookie Kingsley Eguakun - currently on the practice squad - may be called up to start at center.
At 8-6, the Lions are still very much in the playoff hunt. But with injuries stacking up and key players like Joseph still sidelined, Detroit’s depth will be tested down the stretch.