With the issues in the Detroit Lions' secondary, which are being further exacerbated by more injury hits at safety, any possible help is welcome.
Heading toward Week 3, Dan Campbell followed up less than rosy comments about Kerby Joseph to begin the week with much of the same during his weekly appearance on 97.1 The Ticket. Host Jim Costa asked the Lions head coach what he would say to a fan who thinks Joseph will never play again.
"Well, I wish I could make you feel good. I can't make you feel good. It's going to come as it comes, and he's not ready. We're trying to get him there as fast as we can, and we're trying to be as smart about it as we can. And if he's ready, when he's ready, of course we want to play him and get him on the field."
At this point, Brian Branch will be back from his December Achilles' tear before Joseph is back from a chronic knee issue which dates back roughly a year. Campbell has also never said anything especially optimistic about Joseph's injury or return timetable, which only fuels the speculation he absolutely wouldn't, or couldn't, put to bed most recently when directly asked by Costa.
Joseph's contract is also an issue, when it comes to if he eventually decides to retire, the Lions cut him instead, the team trying to recoup bonus money if he retires, etc.
Kerby Joseph is trying to offer hope to Lions fans
Tom Pelissero, now the NFL insider for The Ringer/Netflix, has been pretty plugged into the Lions in the past. In his insider notes post for Week 3 on Substack (paid subscription required), he had something about Joseph.
"While Lions coach Dan Campbell said he "can't make you feel good" about the potential return of Kerby Joseph, the standout safety fully intends to return this season. Joseph has been dealing with a cartilage issue in his knee and missed time in training camp because of a personal issue, which set back his rehab timeline, but Joseph is hopeful he'll be able to help the Lions down the stretch."
When the vibe about his return to the field has been as negative as it is, further driven by Campbell's "can't make you field good" comment, Joseph is offering his side of things via his agent's contact with a prominent insider.
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It's also easy to think a line from the movie "Grumpier Old Men" is totally appropriate here.
"Well, you can wish in one hand and crap in the other, and see which gets filled first."
Joseph surely does "intend" to play this season. Nothing saying otherwise would be out there on his behalf, now or probably ever. Then before we know it we'll be to Week 18, with the playoffs possibly on the horizon for the Lions. The likelihood he will have suited up, or is considered close to doing so even at that point, is low.
Lions' fans can't, and shouldn't, have much hope of ever seeing Joseph on the field again. Good on him for trying to put some out there, even if feels fruitless based on the totality of his situation.
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