Story by
Kerby Joseph, snubbed by Pro Bowl, leads Detroit Lions' 4 first-team All-Pro selections
- Story by
- Kerby Joseph, snubbed by Pro Bowl, leads Detroit Lions' 4 first-team All-Pro selections
Some in the NFL might not like his style of play, but the people who pick the All-Pro teams couldn't argue with his production.
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph was named first-team All-Proon Friday after leading the NFL with a career-high nine interceptions this year.
Advertisement
Joseph was one of four Lions named first-team All-Pro along with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown , right tackle Penei Sewell and punter Jack Fox . Two more Lions, center Frank Ragnow and punt returner Kalif Raymond , were named second-team All-Pro.
The Lions' four All-Pro selections ties the 1991 team for the team's most since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger.
Joseph was left off the NFC Pro Bowl roster last week because, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn hinted, of accusations of dirty play by fellow players. Joseph delivered hits that left two players with season-ending knee injuries last season and microphones caught Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford calling Joseph, "dirty as (expletive)" in the playoffs.
Joseph finished first in fan voting at free safety for the Pro Bowl, but was second alternate for the team. Pro Bowl rosters are picked by an equal split of fan, coach and player vote.
Advertisement
The Pro Bowl is voted on by 50 members of the media. Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett is one of the voters.
Last year, St. Brown experienced a similar Pro Bowl snub and was voted first-team All-Pro.
More: Jake Bates nearly missed a PAT, and it sparked the best season ever by a Lions kicker
Asked about Joseph's Pro Bowl snub last week, Lions safety Brian Branch said, "All-Pro is ... the big one."
"That's first-team right there," he said of Joseph. "If I was him I wouldn't be too bummed up about it. Actually at all. ... I wouldn't be too bummed about it if I was getting first-team."
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) celebrates an interception (his second of the game) against San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024.
The Lions won a franchise-record 15 games this season and have a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs. They tied the Baltimore Ravens (quarterback Lamar Jackson , fullback Patrick Ricard , cornerback Marlon Humphrey and linebacker Roquan Smith ) for most All-Pro selections this year.
Advertisement
Joseph, a third-round pick in 2022, and Fox are first-time first-team All-Pro selections, though Fox was a second-team pick as a rookie in 2020. St. Brown and Sewell were first-team All-Pro picks last year.
St. Brown finished second in the NFL with 115 catches, third with 12 receiving touchdowns and fifth with 1,263 yards, and Fox led the NFL with a 51-yard-per-punt gross average and netted a career-best 45.8 yards per punt.
Dave Birkett is the author of the new book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kerby Joseph leads Detroit Lions' 4 first-team All-Pro selections
