The Detroit Lions had seven players elected to the Pro Bowl this week, but the talk has been about one huge snub. Despite leading the NFL in interceptions, Kerby Joseph is just the second alternate for the NFC team at safety. He led the position in fan voting, so he really tumbled when the voting of players and coaches were brought into the equation. He's also losing a noticeable amount of 2025 salary due to not being elected to the Pro Bowl, showing the foolishness of tying a player's pay boost to the results of a vote.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn strongly hinted at why Joseph was snubbed when he spoke to reporters on Thursday. After legal low hits on Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson and Rams tight end Tyler Higbee in close proximity late last season, Joseph carries a reputation as a dirty player. After the hit on Higbee in the Wild Card Round, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford called Joseph "dirty as f**k. The clip went viral.
Before a game this season, Packers tight end Tucker Kraft had a similar sentiment and he and Joseph had a heated exchange during pregame warmups. Joseph brushed off anything related to Kraft after that game.
Glenn also knows Joseph doesn't need any extra motivation that may come from the ridiculous Pro Bowl snub.
"He doesn't need that as motivation, he knows that he's a good player," Glenn said Thursday, when asked if Joseph not being named to the Pro Bowl could be extra motivation for him. "What he needs to know, he has nine interceptions, a ton of tackles, he's made impact plays as we saw last week, and that was done on national TV. So, he doesn't need that as motivation."
Kerby Joseph has perfect perspective about Pro Bowl snub
Like every process to select participants in an All-Star Game, Pro Bowl voting is a popularity contest. Fan voting is an inherent piece, but Joseph took a substantial hit with players and coaches. If opposing players think he's a dirty player, they won't for him. Coaches would typically only see him play when reviewing tape where the Lions are or have played an upcoming opponent.
After Thursday's practice, Joseph was of course asked about the Pro Bowl snub.
"I saw it and I was like, 'Wow, that's crazy.' But I wasn't really too much worried about the Pro Bowl. I ain't trying to be the in the Pro Bowl. I'm trying to be in that Super Bowl. I feel like All-Pro is the real recognition that people give," Joseph said, via Lions.com. "I'm not really worried about it. I'm focused on the Super Bowl. I wasn't going to go the Pro Bowl anyways."
As we know, players elected to the Pro Bowl from the two Super Bowl teams don't participate in it. Joseph has his eye on the bigger prize for the Lions, and an All-Pro nod as "real" individual recognition should that come his way.