The Detroit Lions‘ first OTA of 2026 kicked off on May 27. There are some players with injury concerns coming out of the 2025 season to keep an eye on. I compiled a list of players to watch, along with their OTA activity expectations.
Here is the excerpt on Kerby Joseph from my Detroit Lions OTA Player Watchlist: May 2026:
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Kerby Joseph, S: How active will he be?
Last game appearance – October 12, 2025
My prior analysis points to a wear-and-tear cartilage issue for Joseph. This is an issue that can get worse with working out and stressing the joint. Unlike other body parts like muscle and bone which get stronger with activity, cartilage does not.
This means that the best way to increase the odds he can play in regular season games is to limit the stress on his knee until that point. There does need to be a balance as avoiding all activity will cause the rest of his leg and body to decondition and atrophy. It will be a delicate balance to get him strong for the season while not wearing out the knee.
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OTA expectations: Minimal to no strenuous activity (jumping, cutting, sprinting) for Joseph during OTA’s so as to preserve his knee for real games.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions OTA Medical Watchlist: Kerby Joseph S