Lions state beginning safeties Kerby Joseph, Brian Department on PUP record

Lions protection Brian Department suffered a torn Achilles that ended his 2025 season in Week 14. Gregory Shamus / Getty Footage

July 26, 2026 Up to date 5:42 pm EDT

The Detroit Lions situated beginning safeties Brian Department and Kerby Joseph at the Physically Not able to Produce (PUP) record faster than the start up of training camp this week. They additionally added tight pause Tyler Conklin, who signed with the franchise this offseason, to the PUP record as effectively.

Joseph is going through a knee hurt that limited him for some distance of the 2025 season. He neglected time at some degree of training camp ultimate 12 months, used to be not able to lift out relatively slightly of video video games and neglected 11 video video games. He tallied 3 interceptions and 4 passes defended within the six video video games he appeared in ultimate season.

Department is recovering from a torn Achilles that ended his 2025 season in Week 14. Department had 75 overall tackles and 9 passes defended faster than happening with the hurt.

Conklin neglected time at some degree of OTAs with an hurt.

Joseph, Department and Conklin are eligible to come back inspire off the PUP record at some degree of training camp, but when they start the formed season on it, they’ll should go over now not now not as much as 4 video video games faster than the Lions might more than likely upload them to the energetic roster.

What it skill

Whilst now not completely sudden, the Lions will probably be without their two beginning safeties when training camp starts Wednesday. Given the timing of Department’s hurt, keeping off a PUP stint used to be frequently going to be a chronic shot. On the other hand, if there used to be hope for one in every of those avid gamers to be able, it used to be Joseph. The Lions have been wary with him all offseason, after a knee hurt stored him out for the rest two months of the season. He didn’t take part in OTAs or minicamp, with Dan Campbell telling journalists the Lions received’t know what to hold a find out about for from Joseph this 12 months till they’re within the thick of training camp.

Really, there’s no explanation why to push Joseph ethical now, however for a player who ultimate suited up in October and hasn’t been tested for the reason that season ended, you’d like to now not now not as much as seem how the knee responds in be mindful faster than the season starts. Most likely it’s as easy needing a small bit extra time faster than the Lions certain him, which is in a position to happen at any degree at some degree of training camp. On the other hand at ultimate, the Lions will want their star safeties at the sphere to lift the ceiling of this protection. Between Terrion Arnold’s arrest and free up, and those two injuries, the Lions will probably be without 3 participants in their 2025 beginning secondary as camp starts. — Pouncy