The Detroit Lions are continuing their aggressive approach to keep their young core intact, this time by rewarding one of the league’s top emerging defensive stars.
On Wednesday safety Kerby Joseph agreed to a four-year, $86 million contract extension, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal not only secures Joseph’s future in Detroit but also makes him the highest-paid safety in NFL history.
Joseph’s extension eclipses previous records held by Tampa Bay’s Antoine Winfield Jr., whose deal came in at $84.1 million total and $21.025 million per year. Joseph will now earn $21.5 million annually, setting a new bar for the safety position.
Previously slated to make $3.621 million in base salary in the final year of his rookie deal, the 24-year-old took a massive leap last season. He led the NFL with nine interceptions and earned first-team All-Pro honors, though was controversially snubbed from the Pro Bowl roster.
“I feel like I’m the best [safety in the NFL],” Joseph confidently told The Jim Rome Show earlier this offseason. “And I’m always going to strive to continue to be the best.”
Now, he’s not just striving, he’s being paid like it.
This marks another splashy move for Detroit’s front office, which has made a habit of locking in cornerstone players with major contracts. Last year, it was stars on the offensive side: Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Penei Sewell. Now, the Lions are shifting their focus to defense, and Joseph is the first big beneficiary.
And he might not be the last: Aidan Hutchinson, the team’s standout edge rusher is also eligible for a new deal soon.
