Lions extend All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph

Lions extend All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph

The Detroit Lions have re-signed safety Kerby Joseph to a four-year, $86 million extension, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was among the first to report. The deal will make Joseph the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

The #Lions and All-Pro S Kerby Joseph reached agreement on a massive new extension to make him the highest paid safety in NFL history, sources say.

He gets a 4-year, $86M deal — $21.5M per year — in contract done by @AgentLouisBing. A big-time star in Detroit cashes in. pic.twitter.com/NWu9nmKolm

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2025

Days later, there is no confirmation whether the deal is fully guaranteed. But anything north of $52 million would make him not only the highest-paid safety in the league, but the one with the highest guarantee. The safety with the highest guarantee, according to Spotrac, is Tennessee’s L’Jarius Sneed followed by Tampa Bay’s Antoine Winfield Jr.

This is a huge cash-in for Joseph, who’s barely a year removed from undergoing offseason hip surgery.

The former third-round pick led the NFL in interceptions last year with nine, tallying 83 tackles–including 58 solo–with 12 pass breakups, one tackle-for-loss and one quarterback hit. According to The 33rd Team, Joseph joins Champ Bailey as the only safeties in 20 years to have at least 80 tackles and nine interceptions in a single season.

Every season in the past 20 years where a player had 80+ Tackles and 9+ INTs:

🏝️ 2024 Kerby Joseph
🏝️ 2006 Champ Bailey

End of list. pic.twitter.com/ugTtbpWsWE

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 20, 2025

He earned first-team All-Pro and finished just outside the Defensive Player of the Year voting, leading a much-improved Lions secondary that finished No. 6 in EPA per dropback allowed and No. 10 in success rate on dropbacks.

Since he wasn’t a first-rounder, he was entering the final year of his contract with a $3.9 million cap hit, according to Spotrac. He was a late bloomer in college and continued to improve, which is a true testament to his work ethic and craft in the secondary. Congrats, Kerby!

2025 NFL Draft Safety Rankings

The Lions did draft safety Dan Jackson in the seventh round. He was Trey’s No. 11 safety in the 2025 class, above the likes of Craig Woodson, Shamari Simmons and Sebastian Castro, among others.

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