Kerby Joseph, Lions Reportedly Agree to $86M Contract to Be NFL's Highest-Paid Safety

The Detroit Lions and safety Kerby Joseph have agreed to a historic four-year, $86 million contract to make him the highest-paid safety in NFL history, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday.

The Lions selected Joseph out of Illinois with the 97th overall pick (third round) in the 2022 NFL draft. He's been a playmaking machine ever since and an integral part in the team's turnaround. Before his arrival, the Lions went 3-13-1. Ever since then, Detroit is 36-15 with a pair of postseason appearances.

Joseph has been a mainstay in the team's defensive backfield, amassing 247 tackles (182 solo), 31 pass breakups and 17 interceptions over 49 total games.

Last year, Joseph enjoyed his best season with an NFL-high nine interceptions to go along with 12 pass breakups and 83 tackles (58 solo) en route to First Team All-Pro honors.

With Joseph's rookie contract expiring after the 2025 season, it's no surprise that the Lions wanted to extend him now and avoid him hitting free agency.

And that's what happened as Joseph is now staying in Detroit long-term.