When the NFL unveiled the Pro Bowl rosters on Thursday, the absence of Detroit Lions standout safety Kerby Joseph stood out. Given that Joseph has arguably been the top safety in the league in 2024, his exclusion seemed unjust.
What made Joseph’s omission even more frustrating was that it stemmed from the votes of players and coaches. While Joseph was the fan vote leader for free safety, it was evident that he did not garner enough support from the other two voting groups, which also represent one-third of the total vote.
Asked about the snub, Joseph took it in stride. He acknowledged it was “crazy” to him but emphasized his focus on making it to the Super Bowl, a goal that would prevent him from participating in the Pro Bowl anyway.
“I saw it and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy,'” Joseph said, as reported by Tim Twentyman of the team’s official website. “But I wasn’t really too much worried about the Pro Bowl. I ain’t trying to be in the Pro Bowl. I’m trying to be in that Super Bowl.”
Joseph further explained, “I feel like All-Pro is the real recognition that people give. I’m not really worried about it. I’m focused on the Super Bowl. I wasn’t going to go to the Pro Bowl anyways.”
With the remarkable season he’s having, Joseph is undoubtedly deserving of All-Pro honors, and it’s even fair to argue that he deserves consideration for Defensive Player of the Year.
Joseph leads the NFL in interceptions, is tied for second in passes defensed among safeties, and ranks first in overall and coverage Pro Football Focus grades, while also being 13th in run defense. His completion rate and passer rating allowed rank second and seventh, respectively, among safeties who have participated in at least 80% of coverage snaps.
“He doesn’t need that as motivation, he knows that he’s a good player,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn commented about Joseph’s snub. “What he needs to know, he has nine interceptions, a ton of tackles, he’s made impact plays as we saw last week, and that was done on national TV. So, he doesn’t need that as motivation.”
The reason behind Joseph’s exclusion remains uncertain. It’s hard to believe that he was simply overlooked by his peers. Glenn speculated that it could be due to the “dirty player” label that some have unfairly attached to Joseph, offering a plausible explanation.
