The Detroit Lions are preparing for the possibility that Kerby Joseph will not be ready when the regular season begins.
Head coach Dan Campbell provided a more detailed timeline Wednesday for Detroit’s All-Pro safety, who remains on the physically unable to perform list while working through a lingering knee injury.
Joseph has progressed to running and some change-of-direction work. The Lions are still several weeks away from testing whether his knee can survive the repeated stress of football practice.
“Everything that I told you in the spring, it still applies to that,” Campbell said as quoted by Pride of Detroit. “We’ve been working to this, but we’re still in this, ‘Okay, he’s running on ground, man. We’re starting to do change of direction, some of this.‘ But We’re not going to grind this for another two or three weeks.”
The update confirmed that Joseph is improving.
It also made clear that Detroit does not expect him to be ready anytime soon.
Lions Are Not Counting on Kerby Joseph for Week 1
Campbell was direct when asked about Joseph’s chances of playing in Detroit’s opener against the New Orleans Saints.
“To me, if we got him back for the first game, that would be a bonus. That would be a, ‘Whoa, okay.’ I don’t expect that,” Campbell said. “I’m not looking for that. I feel like he’s more on the Branch plan a little bit. And that is if everything goes well and everything goes according to plan and we’ve got everything on our side.”
That is the clearest indication yet that Joseph could miss the beginning of the season.
Detroit has not officially ruled him out for Week 1. Campbell’s language shows the Lions are planning as though they may need to open the schedule without him.
A surprise return would be welcomed. It is not part of the current expectation.
Joseph’s Recovery Still Requires a Major Test
Joseph missed the final 11 games of the 2025 season after aggravating his knee against the Kansas City Chiefs.
He attempted to return later in the year, but the knee did not respond well enough after practice. Joseph appeared in six games before being shut down, recording three interceptions and four passes defended.
The Lions have spent the offseason strengthening the knee, seeking treatment and avoiding unnecessary strain.
The next phase is far more demanding.
Running in a controlled setting is not the same as reacting to a receiver, planting suddenly or absorbing contact. Joseph’s knee must handle those movements repeatedly before Detroit can feel comfortable putting him back in a game.
Campbell previously acknowledged that the organization may not know Joseph’s long-term outlook until the safety returns to heavier football activity.
That uncertainty remains.
Joseph Appears to Be Following Brian Branch’s Timeline
Campbell compared Joseph’s recovery plan to the one Detroit is using with Brian Branch.
Branch is rehabilitating a torn Achilles suffered in December. Campbell said Branch could possibly return to practice late in camp or during early September, provided his recovery continues without setbacks.
Joseph’s injury is different, but the projected timelines may now be similar.
Neither player is expected to participate during the opening weeks of camp. Detroit will gradually increase their workloads before deciding when each safety is ready for team drills.
The difference is that Branch’s recovery appears to have a more predictable path. Joseph’s knee has produced considerably more uncertainty.
Active/PUP Gives Detroit Flexibility
Joseph’s current placement on active/PUP does not require him to miss any regular-season games.
The Lions can remove him from the list at any point during training camp once he receives medical clearance. He can attend meetings and continue receiving treatment, but he cannot practice until Detroit activates him.
The critical decision comes near final roster cuts.
If Joseph remains on PUP when the Lions establish their initial 53-man roster, he could be transferred to reserve/PUP. That would force him to miss at least the first four regular-season games.
Campbell did not say Detroit has reached that conclusion.
His comments make reserve/PUP a legitimate possibility rather than a distant concern.
Detroit’s Safety Depth Will Be Tested
The Lions entered camp knowing safety could become one of their most unsettled positions.
Joseph and Branch are the stars of the room, but both opened camp on PUP. Detroit has prepared by adding Chuck Clark and Christian Izien while retaining Avonte Maddox, Thomas Harper, Dan Jackson and Loren Strickland.
Izien also began camp on the non-football illness list, temporarily removing another experienced option.
That leaves Clark, Maddox and Harper among the players likely to receive significant early practice work. Their ability to communicate and handle expanded roles could shape Detroit’s defensive plans for September.
Kelvin Sheppard may need to simplify certain packages or rely more heavily on veteran experience until Joseph and Branch return.
The Lions Cannot Replace Joseph’s Ball Skills
Joseph is one of the most productive takeaway specialists in franchise history.
He has intercepted 20 passes through his first 55 NFL games. His 17 interceptions across his first three seasons were the most by a Lions player through three years since the AFL-NFL merger. He also became Detroit’s first safety since Jack Christiansen in 1957 to record nine interceptions and a defensive touchdown in one season.
That kind of production changes how quarterbacks attack the middle of the field.
Joseph has the range to punish late throws and the instincts to anticipate routes before the ball leaves the quarterback’s hand. Detroit has other capable safeties, but none offers the same proven ability to create turnovers.
His absence would be felt immediately.
Patience Is the Only Sensible Approach
The Lions need Joseph healthy in December and January far more than they need him rushing back for one game in September.
That does not make Campbell’s update encouraging.
It makes Detroit’s caution understandable.
Joseph is entering the first season of the long-term extension he signed with the organization. He remains only 25 years old and is one of the defense’s foundational players. Detroit’s roster-building philosophy has centered on drafting, developing and retaining core talent, with Joseph among the players already rewarded.
The Lions have too much invested in Joseph’s future to force an early return.
If two or three additional weeks of rehabilitation give him a better chance of staying on the field, Detroit must accept the short-term consequences.
Bottom Line
Dan Campbell did not rule Kerby Joseph out for Week 1.
He came close to telling Lions fans not to expect him.
Joseph is running and beginning change-of-direction work, but Detroit will not truly test his knee for another two or three weeks. Campbell described an opening-week return as a bonus rather than a realistic expectation.
The active/PUP designation still gives the Lions time and flexibility. Joseph could be activated before final roster cuts and avoid a mandatory four-game absence.
For now, Detroit must prepare its defense without him.
The Lions have waited months for clarity on Joseph’s knee. Campbell’s latest update provided some, and the news was not what anyone in Detroit wanted to hear.
