"I do."
That lack of hesitation in Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell's response speaks of confidence. Campbell could've been referring to just about anything during Tuesday's presser when he offered that two word response. Maybe it was Cade Mays' ability to hit the ground running at center heading into his first start with the team. Maybe it's whether or not quarterback Jared Goff or running back Jahmyr Gibbs should be league MVP.
But, no. Of all the possible things, Campbell was asked if he thinks safety Kerby Joseph will play this season.
Joseph's time missed has now reached the one year mark, as he last played in Week 6 of last season against the Kansas City Chiefs, a game which, coincidentally, ended the Lions' most recent win steak. Joseph has spent the past year rehabilitating his nagging cartilage issue with his knee, which has led to speculation that it could be career ending.
With fellow safety Brian Branch making his own return this Sunday after suffering a torn Achilles in December, the spotlight is back on Joseph, leading to Campbell again being asked to provide an update.
"He's doing well, you know. I'll leave it at that. He really is. He's doing a good job. I'm not going to give you a timetable, but I've been pleased with where he's at. He's in a good head space right now, you know, which is great 'cause that's hard, you know, you're coming off this. You're wanting to go and you're working at it, and at some point it's time for football, you know. And we all know that and recognize it, but we'll take it one day at a time."Dan Campbell
Campbell's growing confidence continued Wednesday on his "Costa & Jansen" appearance on 97.1 The Ticket, when he was asked specifically about that confidence. Campbell cited Joseph's "progression" and "the strength (Joseph's) knee is gaining" as his reasoning.
Campbell, again, refused to give a timeline, but said he was "optimistic" Joseph will play before the season is done and likes "where he's trending."
Joseph gives Campbell and fans reason to feel optimistic
Campbell's comments this week have been a far cry from previous weeks littered with despair-filled statements and "I don't knows." Either he's received more media training that have demanded him to not sound so sad when talking about Joseph or this progress is very real.
One sign that it might be the latter is a workout clip Joseph posted on his on Tiktok on Wednesday, showing the safety running drills at full speed, showcasing ability to quickly turn on a dime and maintain that momentum and speed to the next set of cone markers.
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Workout speed and game speed are, of course, very different, and only Joseph knows how his knee felt after filming that video. It will still take time for Joseph to see the field, assuming he does come back. But what was shown is a very encouraging sign that Joseph still has plenty of football ahead of him.
And it's enough to make Campbell's growing confidence and optimism infectious.
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