Kerby Joseph dismisses claims that he's a dirty player.
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph has had his fair share of criticism for being labeled a dirty player. After the NFL interception leader missed out on the Pro Bowl, he disassembled the dirty narrative. He spoke to Ari Meirov of the 33rd team and explained that he doesn't care what the opinions are about him.
“I don't care about nobody's opinion, for real,” Joseph said. “This is football. When you sign up to play this game, you sign up for injuries. … The people complaining about dirty hits—they just soft. They don't know football. I feel like I got that narrative because old boy (Matthew Stafford) wanted to come and talk crazy because he mic'd up.”
The Detroit safety is referencing a specific instance that happened in the 2024 playoffs. On a play, he went across the middle and hit Tyler Higbee after he caught a pass. As a result, Higbee was carted off and diagnosed with a torn ACL. Shortly thereafter, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford called Joseph ‘dirty as f**k' after the hit.
That put a label on Joseph that's been carried around the entire season. Despite this, he had a remarkable season. A league-leading nine interceptions and career-highs in every category is remarkable for the third-year safety. Even with making the All-Pro team, Joseph was snubbed out of the Pro Bowl.
Lions' Kerby Joseph isn't worried about a Pro Bowl snub
The Lions have bigger fish to fry for the remainder of the season. They locked up the No. 1 seed and will face the Washington Commanders in the divisional round. Even though they missed some key defensive pieces, Detroit has remained a top defensive team.
The former third-round pick has much to do with their secondary success. He's a ball-hawk, a hard-hitter, and aggressive on his side of the ball. Joseph may have a bad reputation for one play and that's followed him. Funny enough, the former Illinois football standout has never been fined or suspended in his career.
Football is a dangerous sport. Players get hurt all the time. If Joseph wasn't playing with everything he had, he might not last long in the league. For only his third season, he's on an impressive trajectory. His teammates and coaches love him, and he's grown to be a defensive leader.
Joseph will look to keep his excellent play going for the Lions. They'll face off against a red-hot Washington Commanders team. Still, the safety's play could be the deciding factor in the game.
