Lions safety Kerby Joseph has goal of intercepting as many QBs as possible: 'Everybody on the hit list'

In 2023, the Lions met, if not surpassed, expectations.

That doesn’t mean they’re about to stop there. Just ask free safety Kerby Joseph, who said during an appearance on The Insiders that Detroit’s success last season was merely a sign of what’s to come.

Joseph understands that now is not the time for the Lions to relax if they want to succeed in delivering.

“Like coach (Dan Campbell) said, it takes a little bit more,” Joseph told The Insiders on Tuesday. “You just got to keep on going. You can never stop because once you stop it’s over. The fact that we got that far, it shows that we can do this, but we just got to put the little things together and come together as a whole team.”

Joseph has his own goals to achieve in 2024, including picking off as many opposing quarterbacks as possible. He got off to a notable start by intercepting Aaron Rodgers three times during his rookie season, including the four-time MVP’s final pass as Packer in 2022’s season finale — a ball Joseph has since kept as a treasured memento and proudly showed it to The Insiders on air. He hopes to add plenty more to his collection.

“Everyone on the hit list,” declared Joseph. “Every quarterback I face. Because it’s simply incredible to intercept a pass in the NFL. It’s huge. It’s a moment of significance. To compete against Aaron Rodgers, to intercept his throws, it’s just monumental. I want to intercept them all.”

Joseph will need to demonstrate he’s completely recovered from his offseason hip surgery to successfully catch them all. He’s been diligently working and has gained 15 pounds during the offseason. Now that he’s in good health, he’s extremely eager to get back on the field.

“Absolutely, that hip is no big deal,” stated Joseph. “I managed to play despite the injury last year. It was present, but now I feel ten times better, so I am just eager to join the guys on the field.”

Joseph, having gained more muscle, should be equipped to handle the physical demands of playing defense. The task will become more challenging due to the NFL’s banning of the hip-drop tackle. However, the new rule isn’t expected to impact Joseph’s playing style. He has always maintained a consistent speed in his game, according to the safety.

Joseph, with his eight interceptions and 164 tackles equally distributed over his first two seasons, has demonstrated consistency. Now, he aims to transcend being just a reliable defender, regardless of the rules.

“Frankly, it’s not too complex. The main goal is to bring them down, regardless of the circumstances,” stated Joseph. “The moment you start overthinking about tackling, you become hesitant, which is not my preferred way to play.”

For me, I’m simply going to approach things the way I always have – by tackling them head on. I’ll take things as they come, not overthinking it. If I see an opportunity, I’m going to seize it.