Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph has quickly asserted himself as one of the best takeaway artists in the entire leage.
Joseph led the NFL last season with nine interceptions, earning First Team All-Pro honors in the process. Additionally, he upped his career total to 17 over his first three seasons, and was rewarded with a new four-year, $86 million contract that makes him the highest-paid safety in NFL history.
With that success preceeding the 2025 season, Joseph has his goals set high for the upcoming campaign. During his appearance on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ prior to the NFL schedule release, he was asked which quarterbacks he would be looking to pick off. His answer? All of them.
“All of them. (All) 17, and there will be a couple of multiple interception games for sure,” Joseph said. “That’s a record I’ve got. I’ve got two picks in one game for every year I’ve played.”
Indeed, Joseph has had a game in every season in which he has picked off multiple passes. In his first season, it came in the season-ending win over the Green Bay Packers. Joseph picked off Nick Mullens twice in the team’s division-clinching win over the Vikings in 2023, then had two interceptions on Monday Night Football against the 49ers last season.
Development in leadership
Joseph is looking to keep the interception crown in 2025, as he made good on a goal he set for himself at the beginning of the year. Safeties coach Jim O’Neil noted prior to last season that Joseph made life difficult for opponents in the middle of the field, and now has higher expectations for both he and Brian Branch.
In particular, Joseph has refined his ability from being simply a ball-hawk to someone who can prevent big plays and be reliable as an open-field tackler. Safeties coach Jim O’Neil admitted he was impressed by the Illinois’ product initially, then came away even more excited about it after reviewing the film.
“As far as on the grass, everybody talks about the ball-production which is obviously rare,” O’Neil said. “But one of the things I’m most proud of with him is I thought he did an unbelievable job in open-field tackling last year.
And it was even more impressive than I thought when I went back and watched the cut-ups. You’re looking for two things when you’re known as a post-safety: Obviously a guy that can go get the ball, and a guy that can erase mistakes when the ball pops. I thought he did an outstanding job of that, and that was a huge point of emphasis for us coming off his season two years ago to last year.”
Additionally, though he just finished only his third NFL season, Joseph has ascended as a leader. With Branch being a year lighter on experience, and Morice Norris and Loren Strickland being undrafted free agents, he’s become a veteran of the room.
As a result, he hosted weekly dinners on Thursday nights and allowed for the defensive players to bond over a chef-catered meal. It points to his development as a leader and steadying force, not just a player, which was integral for a Lions defense that dealt with plenty of injury turnover throughout last season.
“One of the things Kerb did last year was he had all the guys over to his house on Thursday nights to create some group camaraderie,” O’Neil explained. “He paid for a chef so they could eat dinner and just kind of hang out together. Just his leadership in the meeting room, like, ‘Hey, make sure you right that down,’ or re-emphasize a coaching point that he might know for a player. That’s hard on the grass.”
Former Broncos QB Predicted to Sign With Steelers Amid Ongoing Aaron Rodgers Saga
Former Ravens defender practically begs Steelers for the chance to sign in…
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had several goals throughout the 2025 offseason. One of which has been to get more physical, especially along the defensive line. Pittsburgh’s run-defense absolutely fell apart during the last part of the 2024 season, including during its playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Steelers gave up 299 yards on the ground in what was an embarrassing effort, and the team took the necessary steps to address the run defense during the 2025 NFL Draft. There could be more work to do, as there are some interesting names available on the open market. Pittsburgh drafted defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the 21st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the organization addressed the defensive front some more by adding Jack Sawyer and Yahya Black later in the event. Hopefully these young pieces can help Pittsburgh out when it comes to stopping the run, but the organization should still be looking to add more talent. A veteran that still needs a home is Lawrence Guy, and he went on Good Morning Football on Thursday and essentially begged Pittsburgh to consider him. “I’m a defensive guy, I need to go to defensive teams.” Guy said. “I understand there’s a lot of things up in the air, but I would do it, I would go to Pittsburgh.
I love the organization. I know I played for the Ravens, I get the rivalry, I love the black and blue game. I was a part of the black and blue game. It is what it is. This team is known for defense.” Guy is certainly interested in the possibility of wearing the black and gold, and he doesn’t seem to care about the uncertainty at the quarterback position. The veteran has also played for Baltimore, so he understands what it is like to play in the AFC North.
The black and blue game is a nickname the players have given to the game when the Steelers and Ravens face off due to the physical nature of the contest, and Guy has played in quite a few of those. Guy has bounced around throughout his career, but he is probably most known for his stint as a Raven and as a member of the New England Patriots. He won a Super Bowl with New England, and he was even named to the organization’s All-Decade team for the 2010s. He is more of a run-stuffer than a pass-rusher, which is exactly what Pittsburgh needs. He would be a rotational piece that could come off the bench to help keep Cam Heyward’s body fresh. The veteran spoke about Heyward and the other stars who have come before him. “There has been stars after stars after stars.” Guy said.
“You know name it, they’ve played it. Right now, with me on there? I know we’re two old people, me and Cam, we all know we’re both old. We kind of look like each other, but he has hair and I don’t have hair. This is what I’m talking about. When you got a defensive state of mind, you need to go to a defensive team. And that is what they’ve always been known for, it’s defense and dominance.” The veteran clearly wants the chance to play football again after spending the 2024 season with the Cincinnati Bengals.
He might be waiting till training camp gets underway to sign somewhere, as more opportunities could open up as injuries occur. Older veterans also like to weight so they can miss out on a lot of the offseason activities and part of camp. Steelers Should Ink Lawrence Guy For Cheap Going Into 2025 Guy played on a one-year deal in 2024 for just $1.2 million, which is the veteran minimum. He managed to play in just four games throughout the year and he recorded two combined tackles. This was a disappointing year for Guy, but he is still striving to play in the league.
Based off of his deal in 2024 and his production, the Steelers should be able to sign him for the veteran minimum which would be what he made in 2024. This is a no-risk signing, as Pittsburgh could cut him at the end of the preseason if the coaching staff cannot find a role for him.
Trade on the Verge of Being Completed Between the Panthers and Bruins
Rick Tocchet may have just thrown some subtle shade at the Vancouver Canucks
Rick Tocchet has just left the Vancouver Canucks to become the coach in Philadelphia, and in his first news conference, he’s taken a subtle shot at his former team.
This offseason has already been a wild ride for Rick Tocchet, as he was announced as the 25th coach in the history of the Philadelphia Flyers following his surprise departure from the Vancouver Canucks, where he served as head coach for the past three seasons. Fans were already excited about the hire, but it was this answer about communicating with the young players on the team (something that their previous head coach couldn’t do) that had fans most excited. “I’m a partner with the players.
It’s not a dictatorship. That’s my job to steer the ship, but I think it’s important that you let the player steer the ship too.” While Vancouver may not have had much success in 2024-25, Tocchet is great at building relationships with his players, and after the way Matvei Michkov in particular was treated by his last coach, this reaction will no doubt be a positive one in the Flyers locker room. However, it wasn’t just the Flyers fan base he got excited, as he seemingly got the Canucks fan base fairly frustrated as well, as he took this subtle shot at his former team in the process. While it wasn’t a direct shot, Tocchet was raving about the Flyers’ practice facility in his news conference.
That’s something that has been a sore subject for the Canucks in recent years, with his remarks potentially a comment on Vancouver’s lack of a state-of-the-art practice facility. At this point in time, it’s unlikely that Tocchet will take a direct shot at the Canucks, as things appeared to have ended fairly amicably between the two sides, but for Vancouver fans, it’s hard not to take this one as a direct shot from Tocchet.
Canadiens Predicted to Land Rangers Star This Offseason
NHL Under Fire for Mishandling Stolarz’s Symptoms Amid Fears It’s…
Anthony Stolarz was knocked out of the Maple Leafs matchup with the Florida Panthers, and now there’s concern that it could be worse than a concussion.
The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a major loss in Game 1 of their series with the Florida Panthers, as goaltender Anthony Stolarz was stretchered out of the arena following a puck to the facemask and a hit to the head from veteran forward Sam Bennett. While many have hoped he would return in this series, columnist Dave Feschuk from the Toronto Star has detailed how this injury may be much worse than that, and how there are fears for Stolarz’ future at the NHL level.
The problem is guys like, you know, speaking of concussion experts and people that spend a lot more time thinking about these issues than we do, the one thing they’ve underlined to me is that vomiting on the bench after a head hit, or potentially two head hits, because he took that shot off the head, as well as the Sam Bennett forearm. That’s not normal concussion symptoms, and that was the concern from the concussion experts I spoke to is that it’s not normal to be vomiting from a concussion.
It could mean it was a more serious thing, that we don’t know what it is. These guys, these doctors that I spoke to, have not examined the man, but they do know the history of concussion symptoms, and they were very concerned that the vomiting thing could indicate something more serious than a concussion. And obviously, a concussion is very serious, so who knows where Anthony Stolarz is at. You have to hope for the best for him as a human being first The initial updates from the Maple Leafs were good, with the revelation that he’s doing better, but doing better and being able to get back on the ice are two different things entirely.
At this point in time, we do know that Stolarz will be out for Game 6, as Head Coach Craig Berube recently addressed the possibility of him travelling to Florida for the must-win game. Ultimately, this was a tough incident that could effect the future of Stolarz entirely, and if he doesn’t get back in this series, this injury will be one to watch over the summer for Maple Leafs fans.
Golden State Warriors Predicted As Possible Landing Spot For Boston…
Dallas Stars Make Classy Gesture Towards The Scheifele Family After His…
The Dallas Stars have made a classy gesture to Jets forward Mark Scheifele, who lost his father Brad unexpectedly. The Winnipeg Jets were unexpectedly rocked by a personal tragedy, as the awful news was made public earlier today that Brad Scheifele, the father of Jets forward Mark Scheifele, had passed away unexpectedly during the night.
Understandably, the younger Scheifele’s status for tonight’s Game 6 of the 2nd round against the Dallas Stars was in doubt. However, he decided to suit up and play, as he believes it is what his now-late father would have wanted.
After deciding to play fans from both the Winnipeg Jets as well as the rival Dallas Stars came together to show support for Scheifele and to honor his father’s legacy. Dallas Stars Fans Show Support To Mark Scheifele After His Father’s Passing In a classy show of support, Stars fans on Reddit have been donating $55 each, a nod to Scheifele’s sweater number, to charities that Brad Scheifele supported.
Stars forward Tyler Seguin also gave a nod to Scheifele during the pregame skate: With the game now underway the support for Scheifele will likely continue as he plays one of the most difficult but important games of his career. If you yourself would like to donate to the Scheifele cause you can do so at the link below provided by John Buccigross of ESPN.
Leave a Reply