Lions safety Kerby Joseph directs injury questions to his new rap song

Allen Park — Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph didn't exactly provide answers to the lingering questions that will define his 2026 season, and possibly his career, when speaking to the media on Thursday for the first time this calendar year.

>Joseph, who has been sidelined since last October, directed all inquiries about his knee injury and potential return to the field to his YouTube channel, @ZAPPNETWORK31, where he recently posted a rap song called "Fly Today."

>Asked if he felt any better today than he did six to eight months ago, Joseph said, "Honestly, the best way I could describe that right there, I got a YouTube channel ...it'll tell you everything you need to know. It's called 'Fly Today.' I got a song that dropped; it's called 'Fly Today.' Y'all go check it out, it sounds pretty good."

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>Joseph was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on Sunday. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday that he doesn't expect Joseph to be ready for Week 1. But the All-Pro safety has shown some progress, including Wednesday, when he was running up the hill next to the practice fields in Allen Park. Whether or not he'll eventually be able to return to the field for a regular season game might be a different story entirely.

>Joseph, who described himself as a "part-time rapper" and "full-time football player," credited his journey with God for keeping him upbeat throughout the unpredictable rehab process.

>Asked what doctors and other professionals he's drawn optimism from, Joseph said, "See, things like that, I can't explain, OK? But God brought people into my life, and I'm so thankful that I met these people."

>When asked about the origin of his knee injury, Joseph said he woke up one day last year and his knee was swollen. He missed time in training camp and was ready for the regular season.

>"I didn't think nothing much of it. I was like, 'Ah, I can still run, do all this, I'm (gonna) go out there and practice.' We had a scrimmage," Joseph explained. "When I'm running, I'm like, 'Man, I ain't that fast today. I thought — I ate good that day. So, I'm thinking it's a little breakfast or something going on. Nah, my knee was just — I couldn't, you know? And I got the MRI, I got the news."

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>Joseph is entering the second year of a four-year, $86 million contract he signed last offseason. Aside from Joseph's injury, the Lions are expecting to be shorthanded at the safety position to start the season, with Pro Bowler Brian Branch still recovering from an Achilles injury that ended his 2025 season last December.

>nbianchi@detroitnews.com

>@nolanbianchi

>This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions safety Kerby Joseph directs injury questions to his new rap song