It’s not surprising Kerby Joseph isn’t a household name. You could throw a dart at Ford Field blindfolded and probably hit one of the Lions star players. Before this season, though, most NFL fans viewed the Lions offense as the only real star-studded side of the ball outside of defensive phenom Aidan Hutchinson. However, there’s been one Lion that’s been sneakily developing and putting together good seasons since he entered the league, and this year, he showed up when Detroit needed it the most.
Redemption For Kerby Joseph
Kerby Joseph was a third-round draft pick in 2022 who flew under the radar. Kerby became a fan favorite after a Week Nine matchup against the Green Bay Packers, where he intercepted Aaron Rodgers twice and racked up ten tackles. This, along with Kerby’s interception of Rodgers’ last throw as a Packer in the season finale, saw Joseph winning the fan vote at safety for the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t go to the Pro Bowl that year, as the NFL had recently changed the rules to where the fan vote only counted for one-third of the selection process.
After an almost identical sophomore campaign, Joseph was primed for a breakout season in year three. Spoiler alert: he broke out, bringing in an impressive nine interceptions, one of which was a crucial pick-six during Detroit’s first meeting with the Packers in 2024 during Week Nine. Zuper Kerb, as he calls himself, had arrived and once again won the fan vote at safety. However, of the nine Lions to make the Pro Bowl, Joseph was nowhere to be found, as he was snubbed yet again.
“I saw it and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy.’” Joseph’s reaction according to Tim Twentyman on the Lions official page. “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.”
Kerby also hinted that being named All-Pro was more important…