The signs around Kerby Joseph keep pointing in the same direction: back soon, maybe very soon.
For months, the Detroit Lions have had to answer questions about their All-Pro safety without being able to give anything close to a firm timeline. Joseph hasn’t practiced in more than a year, and the uncertainty around his knee has made every update feel tentative. Even if he does return, there’s still the obvious question of what kind of version of him the Lions will actually get.
Dan Campbell hasn’t exactly forced the issue. Most of the time, he’s sounded cautious, which made sense given how murky the situation has been.
But last week brought a noticeable shift. In two separate chances to discuss Joseph after Brian Branch came back from his Achilles’ tear, Campbell said he expected Joseph to play this season.
During his weekly spot on 97.1 The Ticket, he also pointed to Joseph’s progress.
The momentum around that idea only picked up when Joseph posted a workout video last week that showed him moving well. Then he showed up on the field during pregame warmups before Sunday’s game. Taken together, those are not the kind of details that usually get ignored.
Albert Breer added to the buzz in his immediate Week 7 takeaways for Sports Illustrated, and he didn’t exactly sound like someone expecting Joseph to be out much longer. Breer praised what the Lions did against the Green Bay Packers and brought Joseph into the conversation more than once.
"We all know what the offense is capable of. The defense, with Brian Branch back and Kerby Joseph’s return looming, showed signs of life Sunday, halting the Green Bay run game, and keeping the Packers from making a single play of more than 28 yards, while keeping any of their skill players from getting to even 60 yards rushing or receiving."
Breer later turned his attention to the Lions’ upcoming matchup with the undefeated Vikings at home and wrote, "Next week, they’ll get the undefeated Vikings at home. And they couldn’t be more ready for that after riding out some bumps, and injuries, early in the year.
Branch and Cade Mays are back now. Joseph will be soon."
That could simply be Breer echoing what Campbell has already said, along with the recent signs Joseph has put on display. Or it could mean he’s hearing something more. Either way, the tone around Joseph has changed fast, and that alone is worth watching.
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An ESPN feature made the case that Goff belongs in the sleeper MVP discussion, pointing to his strong expected points added as a sign of how efficiently he is driving Detroits offense. He is still not the favorite in that race, but the fact that his name is being mentioned at all says plenty about how steady and valuable his play has been for a Lions team with bigger ambitions. [Read more 🡒]