2023 saw the Lions live up to, if not exceed expectations.
That doesn’t mean they’re about to stop there. Just ask free safety Kerby Joseph, who said during an appearance on The Insiders that Detroit’s success last season was merely a sign of what’s to come.
In order to deliver, Joseph knows now is not the time for the Lions to lift and coast.
“Like coach (Dan Campbell) said, it takes a little bit more,” Joseph told The Insiders on Tuesday. “You just got to keep on going. You can never stop because once you stop it’s over. The fact that we got that far, it shows that we can do this, but we just got to put the little things together and come together as a whole team.”
Joseph has his own goals to achieve in 2024, including picking off as many opposing quarterbacks as possible. He got off to a notable start by intercepting Aaron Rodgers three times during his rookie season, including the four-time MVP's final pass as Packer in 2022's season finale -- a ball Joseph has since kept as a treasured memento and proudly showed it to The Insiders on air. He hopes to add plenty more to his collection.
“Everybody on the hit list,” Joseph said. “Every quarterback I go against. ‘Cause it’s amazing to catch an interception in the NFL. It’s just big. It’s a big moment. Going against Aaron Rodgers, catching interceptions against him, that’s just big. I just want them all.”
In order to catch them all, Joseph will have to first prove he’s fully healed from offseason hip surgery. He’s been hard at work, revealing he’s added 15 pounds in the offseason. And now that he’s healthy, he can barely contain his excitement to return to the field.
“Oh, for sure. That hip ain’t nothing,” Joseph said. “Last year, I played through the injury. It was there, but I feel 10 times better now, so I just can’t wait to get out there with the guys.”
With more muscle on his frame, Joseph should be able to withstand the physical nature of playing defense, which will only become more challenging after the NFL outlawed the hip-drop tackle. The rule won’t affect Joseph’s style of play, the safety said, because he’s always played at one speed.
With eight interceptions and 164 tackles over his first two seasons -- split evenly, by the way -- Joseph has proven to be consistent. Now, he wants to elevate beyond simply being a reliable defender, no matter what the rules dictate.
“Honestly I feel like it’s not too much to think about. You just got to get them down no matter what,” Joseph said. “Once you get to thinking about tackling, you get a little timid, and I don’t like playing timid.
“I feel like, for me, I’m finna just tackle how I’ve always been tackling. Just get them down however it happens, whatever happens happens. I’m not gonna think too much about it. If I see ball, I’m gonna go get the ball.”