Lions’ Kerby Joseph gets real on ‘dirty’ label after Pro Bowl hesitancy
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph has taken a lot of criticism for being labeled a dirty player. After the NFL’s interception leader missed the Pro Bowl, he broke down the sordid story. He talked to Ari Meir from the 33rd team and explained it he doesn’t care what opinions are about him.
“I don’t care what anybody thinks, really,” Joseph said. “This is football. When you sign up to play this game, you are signing up for injuries. … People complain about dirty shots — they’re just soft. They don’t know football. I feel like I got that story because the old man (Matthew Stafford) wanted to come in and talk crazy because he sounded off.”
The Detroit safety points to a specific incident that occurred in the 2024 playoffs. During the play, he ran up the middle and hit Tyler Higbee after catching a pass. As a result, Higbee was carted off and diagnosed with a torn ACL. Soon after, the Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford called Joseph ‘dirty as fuck’ after the hit.
That put a label on Joseph that was carried throughout the season. Despite this, he had an outstanding season. A league-leading nine interceptions and a career high in each category is outstanding for a third-year safety. Even with making the All-Pro team, Joseph was banned from the Pro Bowl.
Lions’ Kerby Joseph isn’t worried about the Pro Bowl
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The Lions have bigger fish to fry for the rest of the season. They have locked up the top seed and will face the Washington Commanders in the divisional round. Although they missed some key defensive pieces, Detroit remained a superior defensive team.
The former third-round pick has a lot to do with their secondary’s success. He is a ball hawk, a hard hitter and aggressive on his side of the ball. Joseph may have a bad reputation for one play and it followed him. Interestingly, the former Illinois football standout has never been fined or suspended in his career.
Football is a dangerous sport. Players are constantly injured. If Joseph hadn’t played with everything he had, he might not have lasted long in the league. In just his third season, he is on an impressive trajectory. His his teammates and coaches love himand he grew into a defensive leader.
Joseph will look to keep up his excellent play for the Lions. They will face a hot Washington Commanders team. However, the play of the safety could be the deciding factor in the game.
2025-01-14 18:28:00
