On Tuesday morning, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell held his weekly interview with local sports radio station 97.1 The Ticket, and when discussing the recovery progress of All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph, Campbell said that he doesn’t expect Joseph to be able to play in Week 10against the New England Patriots in Germany.
“I’ll cut it out (the speculation). I don’t see him playing. I don’t see him playing in Germany,” Campbell told 97.1, per Will Burchfield.
Joseph injured his knee in 2025 training camp,
and limped through the first month of the season before succumbing to his injury. For just over a year, Joseph underwent rehabilitation, working to build strength in his knee. In late October, Joseph finally gained enough stability in his knee to start practicing once again and started his 21-day injury evaluation clock.
Over the last two weeks of practices, Joseph has slowly ramped up his participation levels, as he acclimates back to football activities. On Monday, Campbell said Joseph continues to make progress; they like where he is at and hope to get him even more involved this week.
“He did a good job last week, so we want to get him some more work.”
While Joseph is steadily improving, the early decision to keep him out of Sunday’s game overseas may seem premature, but for a player who hasn’t played in well over a year, it’s not unusual and shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as a negative regarding his progress. Campbell also noted on Monday, when discussing the trade for Andre Cisco, that he expected Joseph to return this season and would give the Lions’ secondary some flexibility.
“We get Kerby back eventually here. Kerby gives you flexibility, keep him where you need him or move him back and forth.“
The Lions don’t want to rush Joseph back into game action, but they are working against the injury evaluation clock, which expires on Tuesday, November 17. At that time, the Lions will need to activate Joseph to the active roster, or they can elect to keep him on the PUP list, which would end his season. If activated, Joseph could potentially return to the field in Week 11 when the Lions host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
