ESPN senior NFL reporter says Lions' Kerby Joseph 'will be back'

Is Kerby Joseph actually going to play again for the Detroit Lions at some point this season?

Pessimism from Lions fans on the subject of Joseph returning to play is understandable. Joseph hasn't played in an NFL game in a full year now as he battles a degenerative condition in his knee.

The 6-foot, 210-pound safety is a star when he's healthy and available, but, Joseph's 2024 season where he led the NFL in interceptions with nine and was a first-team All-Pro feels like a lifetime ago.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell didn't really inspire a ton of confidence that Joseph would be back anytime soon with his most recent remarks on Joseph's recovery status.

"I just know we were strengthening the knee and it wasn’t a setback but there was a little time there where we weren’t able to do everything we needed to do and so now we’re back at it," Campbell said. "And until we can get the knee to a certain point to where it feels strong, as strong as we can possibly get it and he feels comfortable, we’re not going to put him out there," Campbell said of Joseph on Sept. 21.

Yet, is it crazy to say that there's some positive signs starting to percolate?

Lions safety Brian Branch opened his 21-day practice window last week, and Branch made some waves when he indicated that Joseph will indeed be back.

"Kerb’s my dawg. We’ve been—we ain’t quitting, man,” Branch said. “Injured, we’ve been in this thing together for, what, 10 months, man? It’s been a long road. We’ve been fighting every day. He gonna be alright. He gonna be back. We’re gonna be back."

Now, ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler fired off an encouraging post on X as the Lions' offense was rolling it up on the Arizona Cardinals in an eventual 45-21 Detroit win on Sunday from State Farm Stadium.

Lions can still pour it on. Have more premier players top to bottom than any NFL team.

While the secondary has been problematic, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, both injured, are really good and had masked some problems. Corner remains an issue but those two will be back.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 11, 2026

Lions fans probably feel like they have been down this road a time or two before. But, that wasn't a maybe Joseph will be back from Fowler. It certainly reads like Fowler fully expects Joseph to play this season for the Lions. Time will tell on that front.

In his five-year NFL career, Joseph has played in 55 games and started 52. Joseph was a third-round pick by the Lions in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Drafted out of Illinois, Joseph has tallied 265 tackles, 35 passes defended, 20 interceptions, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in his NFL career to date. Joseph has returned one of those 20 interceptions for a touchdown.