The Detroit Lions suffered on defense in 2025, and the biggest reason was arguably injuries in their defensive backfield.
Not only did the Lions lose cornerbacks like Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed for long stretches, they were down both top-flight safeties in Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. Worse, the injuries that pair sustained are bad enough that they cloud 2026 at that position.
While Branch is likely to be recovering until at least October, the situation with Joseph is tough. His knee could seemingly go either way, and could be an injury that sticks with him the rest of his career.
Speaking at the NFL combine, Brad Holmes didn't exactly clarify the situation with Joseph. As he explained, things are continuing to progress with the former Pro Bowler's health, but the situation remains fluid as the franchise continues to wait for information.
"We haven't put a hard timeline or deadline, but we've been in regular communication with our medical staff. They're working with them. They're on track to get as healthy as possible. In another month or so, we'll know a lot more."
Campbell was even more blunt about the immediate future of Joseph, admitting the Lions still have more information to gather that is up in the air about the abilities of his knee.
"We're in a position where we're slowly working him back. Maybe a month from now, maybe a month and a half and we'll have a much better idea. Will he be able to handle what this feels like? Can we get enough strength? It's all of those things."
When it comes to Joseph, that's far more questions than answers, and another month will take the Lions through the free agency period and just before the month of the draft without much extra clarity. With this in mind, it seems like a slam dunk that Detroit will add to the safety position this offseason with a necessary move.
Lions feel likely to add a safety this offseason in wake of dual injuries
Coming out of the combine press conferences, it's easy to see that the Lions are likely to add a safety to the mix this offseason. Nothing about the injury timeline of Joseph or Branch seem to indicate much clarity on what the future holds for either player.
Branch is expected to be sidelined until the middle of the season but the case with Joseph is arguably more scary. His knee may or may not recover in time for the 2026 season, and could face issues the rest of his career even if he does play. That points to the need for depth at the position, and perhaps even young depth.
READ MORE: Bill Barnwell's evaluation of free agency class should give Lions room to breathe
Detroit should easily bring back standout Avonte Maddox, who represented a major success story from free agency in 2025. He moonlighted at safety and was a key piece when both Joseph and Branch were gone. In addition, they need to do work on the draft class and see if they can make a safety net addition for the future.
Nothing said by either Holmes or Campbell did anything to inspire confidence about the position heading into next season. For this reason, don't be surprised if the Lions decide to proritize safety before 2026 begins.