Lions’ Kerby Joseph makes feelings crystal clear after being left out of Pro Bowl spotlight

When safety Kerby Joseph checked the list of Pro Bowl players for his name, he could not find it. Some of his Detroit Lions teammates such as QB Jared Goff, RT Penei Sewell, Safety Brian Branch, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, and Center Frank Ragnow, were selected.

Joseph was left off even though Kerby leads the league in interceptions with nine. When asked on Thursday how he felt about being snubbed, he gave a clear answer indicating his true priorities. Even though he acknowledged that being selected for the Pro Bowl was a "real recognition," he wasn't sweating it too much because he is aiming for a much bigger prize.

"I saw it and I was like, 'wow that's crazy' but I wasn't too sad because my boy was on there," Joseph told reporters. "Man, I wasn't really too worried about the Pro Bowl. I ain't trying to be in the Pro Bowl. I am trying to be in that Super Bowl. I'm trying to see that for real. So the Pro Bowl is what it is."

Joseph also hinted that there might be something more going on behind the scenes because of which he was snubbed for the role.

"Let me ask you a question, who leads the league in interceptions?" Kerby Joseph asked rhetorically. "And I'm pretty sure I'm like first in a couple of other categories too. So like, the fact I ain't make the Pro Bowl, it shows you something."

When one looks at the stats, Joseph does stand out. He leads all DBs with a passer rating of 25.4, and when considering catch rate, he is second with 40%. He is also the nearest defender for 30 targets in 633 coverage snaps and just permitted one TD.

Lions DC Aaron Glenn on why Kerby Joseph was not included in the Pro Bowl

Lions DC Aaron Glenn took issue with Kerby Joseph's Pro Bowl snub and defended his star safety.

"To me, Kerby Joseph is a Pro Bowler also. He might not have it by name, but he is a Pro Bowler, in my opinion. I think he is a Pro Bowler in a lot of people's opinion across this league too. We all know where that comes from," Glenn said on Thursday.

Joseph has developed a bit of a reputation due to hits that have resulted in injuries. Last season, he was involved in injuries to TEs Tyler Higbee and TJ Hockenson, which furthered that reputation. After the hit on Higbee, Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, called Joseph "dirty as f**k."

Joseph is in his third year in the NFL after being drafted in the third round by the Lions in 2022. Apart from his league-leading nine interceptions, he also has 77 total tackles and 12 passes defended.