The Detroit Lions have built a talented core since Brad Holmes arrived as general manager in 2021, but the bill to keep those players in Detroit has come due in recent years. One of the biggest investments came when the Lions agreed to a four-year, $86 million contract before the start of last season and it made sense at the time to keep an All-Pro safety in the mix.
But Joseph’s 2025 season was wiped out due to a chronic knee injury and his status continues to be up in the air for this season as he’s on the physically unable to perform list and has not practiced with the team. With that, Joseph’s contract has turned into an albatross on the Lions books and his injury has made his big deal age like milk as he earned a spot on the NFL’s All-Overpaid Team entering this season comprised by Garrett Podell of CBS Sports.
“Joseph’s league-leading nine interceptions in 2024 earned him his current contract, which makes him the third-highest-paid safety in the NFL, but that deal is in danger of aging poorly in a hurry,” Podell wrote. “...If he can’t figure out how to heal his knee injury, this contract could sink Detroit’s contention hopes.”
Kerby Joseph’s injury has turned the Lions’ biggest investment into a nightmare
When Joseph signed his contract, it appeared that the Lions were doing the right thing. A key part in Detroit’s transformation from doormat to Super Bowl contender, Joseph became one of the NFL’s premier ballhawks, logging 17 interceptions in his first three seasons. Only seven players in NFL history have had more interceptions in the first three years of their career while Ed Reed (20) and Erik McMillain (19) and Dwight Hicks (18) are the only safeties with more picks in that timeframe.
With three picks in his first six games, Joseph’s knack for making plays on the ball was in prime form to begin the 2025 campaign. But a knee injury that began in training camp turned into a season-long storyline when Joseph left a Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Since then, Joseph’s status has been clouded with ominous updates. The Lions have deemed it as a “chronic” injury that has more to do with pain management than a full recovery. Joseph also said that the severe cartilage damage isn’t able to be fixed by surgery as it does not naturally regenerate.
While he’s taken to acupuncture and other methods of recovery, Lions head coach Dan Campbell has already ruled out a return in the season opener against the New Orleans Saints and put him on the same timeline as fellow safety Brian Branch, who tore his Achilles last December.
Mix in Joseph leaving camp for “a personal issue” and things do not look good for the former All-Pro, which raises questions about his future.
Kerby Joseph’s contract is a short- and long-term problem for the Lions
According to Over The Cap, Joseph’s cap numbers are tolerable with a $5.47 million charge for this season, a $9.1 million cap hit in 2027 and a $13.0 million cap hit in 2028. Things get rocky with a $17.9 million cap hit in 2029, however, and the Lions stuffed $39.1 million into four void years that will come due against the cap in 2030.
Because of this and the yearly option bonuses, which is an upfront payment that ranges from $1.925 million this season to $4.7 million in 2029 but can also be spread out over five years per Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman, the Lions need Joseph to contribute soon or risk having a massive cap hole for a superstar player that’s not producing like one.
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This gets worse further down the timeline. Competing in the NFC North, the Lions need to have Joseph on the field to help their defense. If he’s unable to do so, it leaves the Lions at a big disadvantage with limited financial resources to make up for his absence.
It also could prevent the Lions from signing some of their other core pieces. While they were able to strike deals with Jack Campbell and Jahmyr Gibbs this summer, Branch’s future is up in the air as he recovers from his injury and will likely command a similar contract as he enters the final year of his deal.
Obviously, Lions fans would love to have a healthy version of Joseph leading the secondary for years to come. But his injury has not only been a drag for the team as much as it has become one of the worst contracts in football.
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