The Detroit Lions designated All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph to return from the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday. That starts a 21-day window in which he can practice before the team has to activate him. NFL Trade Rumors, citing Tim Twentyman of the team's site, said the designation makes the window official. Reddit's r/nfl, relaying a post from Meirov, said Joseph was already on the practice field Wednesday.
Pride Of Detroit's Erik Schlitt reported that coach Dan Campbell announced the move. Schlitt wrote that Joseph remains on PUP while he practices and described the clock as a 21-day injury evaluation period. He also described Joseph's absence as "just over a year" with a recurring knee injury. NFL Trade Rumors added that Joseph went on PUP coming out of the preseason as he worked back from the knee problem. None of the summaries say when the team expects him to play, and none gives a diagnosis beyond the knee.
The archive shows how long he has been out. Joseph's last game was Oct. 12, 2025, and he played only six games that season. He had 18 tackles (14 solo), three interceptions and four passes defensed in those six games. The year before, he played all 17 games and had nine interceptions, 12 passes defensed and 83 tackles, with a defensive touchdown. Those numbers are what the Lions have been without in the secondary.
The club he is rejoining is 4-2 and on a two-game winning streak, a streak that includes a 20-17 win over Green Bay on Sunday. Before that came a 45-21 win at Arizona on Oct. 11 and a 32-26 loss at Carolina on Oct. 4. Detroit is third in the NFC North. It sits two games behind Minnesota, which is 6-0, and a game and a half behind 5-2 Chicago, with a +19 point differential.
4-23rd in NFC NorthStreak W2
The next game is the one that matters most in the division: Detroit hosts those Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 1. Joseph's window opened on Wednesday, and the reporting does not say whether Detroit will use it before then. Practice participation is the first step, not an activation. Whether he is ready for Minnesota is a decision the Lions have not announced. The window itself runs 21 days from Wednesday's designation, and the team must either activate him or keep him on PUP by the end of it.
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