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Kerby Joseph

Lions To Explore Kerby Joseph Extension, Have Not Discussed Deal With Carlton Davis

January 23rd, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

With their Super Bowl hopes dashed this past weekend, the Lions will now have to begin a crucial offseason to renew their championship pursuit in 2025.

Detroit has already lost three key coaches to this offseason’s hiring cycle, including offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Johnson took the Bears’ head coaching gig, while Glenn was hired for the same position by the Jets. Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams moved to New England to run the Patriots’ defense under Mike Vrabel.

With so much coaching turnover, especially on the defensive side of the ball where Glenn’s leadership kept an injured unit afloat, the Lions will focus on retaining key talent on their roster.

That effort will begin in the secondary with safety Kerby Joseph. He is still on his rookie contract for the 2025 season, he has already established himself as a long-term piece of Detroit’s defense after a his league-high nine interceptions plus a first-team All-Pro selection in 2024. Lions general manager Brad Holmes said that the team will explore an extension with Joseph this offseason, per Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network. As the league-leader with 17 interceptions since entering the NFL in 2022, Joseph will have a strong argument to match or exceed the $21M APY figure reached by Antoine Winfield last offseason.

Holmes was less forthcoming about a new contract for cornerback Carlton Davis, who was traded to the Lions last offseason and finished the 2024 season on injured reserve after a broken jaw. He is set to hit free agency in March, but the Lions have not begun negotiations to re-sign him, per Rogers. Davis started the first 13 games of the season before his injury, recording 11 passes defended while holding opposing quarterbacks to a career-low 77.0 passer rating when targeted. He will be looking for a raise on his last contract, which featured a $14.8MM APY (via OverTheCap), perhaps similar to the nearly $18M APY reached by 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir on his recent extension. However, Davis has struggled to stay healthy in his career, missing at least four games in each of the last four seasons. That lack of availability will affect his negotiations, with teams potentially lowering his guarantees or requiring substantial per-game roster bonuses to account for his injury history.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Lions are considering an extension for veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, according to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. He arrived in Detroit as a free agent last offseason and outplayed the value of his one-year, $6MM contract in 2024. He started all but one game in the regular season, but picked up an injury in Week 18 and missed the Lions’ divisional round loss to the Commanders. Zeitler’s 2024 contract was a bargain compared to the rest of the guard market, so he will be looking for a commensurate raise on his next deal. He will be 35 years old when the 2025 season begins, so a multi-year deal is unlikely, but a one-year contract in the range of Brandon Scherff‘s $10MM contract for 2024 could materialize.

Lions S Kerby Joseph Addresses Hip Rehab

July 11th, 2024 at 11:34am CST by Adam La Rose

Kerby Joseph suffered a hip injury in Week 2 of the 2023 campaign. The ailment led to a pair of missed games before the third-year Lions safety returned to action for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.

Joseph underwent offseason surgery, and he expressed an expectation of being healthy in time for training camp. The 23-year-old missed spring practices while rehabbing, but his latest comments on the matter confirm he has returned to full health. He should be able on the field once camp opens later this month as a result.

“Oh, for sure. That hip ain’t nothing,” Joseph said during an appearance on NFL Network’s The Insiders. “Last year, I played through the injury. It was there, but I feel 10 times better now, so I just can’t wait to get out there with the guys.”

The former third-rounder has established himself as a key member of Detroit’s secondary, starting 32 of 35 combined regular and postseason games. Joseph totaled 82 tackles and four interceptions during his rookie campaign and matched those numbers exactly last season. He has added 19 pass breakups during that span, and his coverage statistics improved considerably from 2022 to ’23.

The Lions will welcome Joseph back into the fold as the team looks to integrate a number of new faces in the secondary. Additions at the cornerback spot were made via trade, free agency and the draft in an attempt to take needed steps forward against the pass in 2024. Brian Branch – who has spent plenty of time at slot corner early in his career – is expected to receive extended looks at safety this summer. Joseph may have a new running mate on the backend in 2024 as a result, but in any event he will be at full strength by the start of the campaign.

Injury Updates: Joseph, Hubbard, Enagbare

May 12th, 2024 at 9:14pm CST by Ely Allen

Third-year safety Kerby Joseph has become a menace over his first two seasons in the league, recording exactly 82 total tackles and four interceptions in each campaign for the Lions. The start of his third season in the NFL will be a bit delayed this offseason, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, as Joseph underwent hip surgery to fix an injury that he sustained in Week 2 last year.

Joseph initially missed two games due to the issue but eventually returned in Week 5 and played through the injury for the remainder of the season, including three playoff contests. Joseph told the media this week that he expects to be healthy by the start of training camp. This means that he’ll likely be a non-participant in any offseason activities leading up to camp.

Here are a couple of other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Veteran Bengals pass rusher Sam Hubbard also underwent some offseason surgery, per ESPN’s Ben Baby. After a right ankle injury forced him to miss two games in 2023, Hubbard required “significant offseason surgery.” He told the media that he underwent “a complete deltoid reconstruction in his ankle and a TightRope procedure.” He initially believed the injury to be a simple sprain, but a fluoroscopy at the end of the season revealed a much more severe situation. He played through the issue to help a Joe Burrow-less Bengals team have a better chance to win but saw his quality of play decline as a result. Hubbard is now feeling fortunate to have made it through the procedure with no permanent damage.
  • Lastly, Packers defensive end Kingsley Enagbare is hoping to be ready for the team’s 2024 season opener after initial beliefs that he had torn his ACL in January. According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, those initial concerns were quelled when Enagbare’s ACL injury “turned out to be less serious” than previously thought. He never needed to undergo offseason surgery and now stands a chance at being back in form in time for the start of the regular season.

Lions Rumors: Gambling, Joseph, Gibbs

June 4th, 2023 at 7:53pm CST by Ely Allen

After the Lions were hit with multiple suspensions in April for player gambling violations and the announcement that the NFL was still investigating for further violations, Detroit has decided to take matters into its own hands, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive. The Lions are working to provide their players with a self-imposed supplemental education into the league’s policies on gambling.

The team’s violations led to the release of the players involved, except for former first-round pick Jameson Williams, who received a six-game suspension for making bets on non-NFL games while at the Lions’ facility. With so much damage done, head coach Dan Campbell gave some words on the team’s decision to implement further instruction.

“It’s much more an emphasis from us, as opposed to just leaving it to the league,” Campbell said. “Like, we need to make sure that we really hit this ourselves and make a point of it. We did, but obviously not enough. The proof’s in the pudding. So, for us, let’s take it out of their hands. They will have what they do every year, but now we need to put our own emphasis on it. And I think that is the best way to do it, is to highlight it.”

Here are a few other rumors coming out of the Motor City:

Lions S Tracy Walker Suffers Torn Achilles

September 26th, 2022 at 10:14am CST by Adam La Rose

After suffering a non-contact injury early in the Lions’ game yesterday, it was understood that safety Tracy Walker was facing a serious diagnosis. Today, it is believed that the veteran suffered a torn Achilles, which would end his season (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). Walker has since confirmed that he did indeed tear his Achilles and will be out for the remainder of the campaign. 

“We don’t know entirely,” head coach Dan Campbell said after the game, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “We’ll know more in the morning. It doesn’t look real good. Obviously, it’s the ankle area, possibly could be the Achilles.” Confirmation of the worst-case scenario is likely to deal a major blow to the Lions.

Walker, 27, emerged as a starter in his second season with the team in 2019. That marked the first of two campaigns in which he has eclipsed the 100-tackle mark, and saw him register a career-high eight pass deflections. He had another productive season in 2021, which earned him a three-year, $25MM deal in March.

The former third-rounder led the team in tackles entering Week 3 with 18, and his absence would be felt throughout the Lions’ secondary. Cornerback Jeff Okudah has returned to form after suffering an Achilles tear of his own during last year’s season opener. Now, Detroit will once again move forward with a key starter unavailable for the remainder of the campaign.

Juju Hughes filled in for Walker after the injury. The former UDFA spent the past two seasons with the Rams, making 19 appearances but primarily playing on special teams. He could see extended action on defense for the first time in his career, assuming it is confirmed that Walker will be sidelined until 2023. The Lions could also turn to third-round rookie Kerby Joseph as a fill-in option.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/17/22

May 17th, 2022 at 5:14pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the latest draft pick signings around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Lions Sign Round 1 WR Jameson Williams

May 12th, 2022 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jameson Williams agreed to terms on his fully guaranteed rookie contract Thursday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Lions now have both their 2022 first-rounders signed, after having inked No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson to his rookie deal earlier this week.

The No. 12 overall pick, Williams will be tied to his rookie deal for at least three seasons and can be under Lions control through 2026 (via the fifth-year option). He is set to earn around $17.5MM on this contract.

Detroit traded its Nos. 32 and 34 picks to Minnesota to climb up for Williams, who zoomed onto the draft radar after his dominant season at Alabama. Williams joins DJ Chark as key offseason receiver additions for a Lions team that featured one of the NFL’s worst wideout situations in 2021.

Playing behind the likes of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave at Ohio State, Williams transferred to an Alabama squad that had just lost DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. The Crimson Tide put the slender speedster to work immediately, and Williams posted a monster season — 79 receptions, 1,572 yards, 15 touchdowns — as a junior to help the SEC powerhouse to another national championship game.

The torn ACL Williams suffered in that loss to Georgia did not impact his draft stock much, but the 179-pound pass catcher is expected to begin the season on the PUP list. Many NFL evaluators expect Williams to be out until November, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, though the rebuilding Lions are likely fine playing the long game with the recovering prospect.

In addition to signing Williams, the Lions and third-round safety Kerby Joseph agreed on the terms of his rookie contract. The Lions took Jones 97th overall out of Illinois. His four-year deal is worth just more than $5MM, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes.