Kerby Joseph joins elite company with latest interception against Bengals

Detroit Lions defensive back Kerby Joseph is off to a hot start in his young NFL career and has already joined some elite company 54 games into his NFL journey. Joseph against the Cincinnati Bengals recorded his third interception of the season, which was his 20th of his career.

Joseph's twenty interceptions put him in elite company, as he joined Hall of Famer Ed Reed as the only safeties since 2000 to record 20 INTs through the first four seasons of a player's career.

Since getting drafted in 2022, Joseph has been one of the key pieces in the Lions rebuild in a draft class that features Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Josh Paschal, and Malcom Rodriguez. The 2022 class also saw contributions from defensive lineman James Houston, who was a key rotational piece during his time in Detroit.

Joseph shines in Lions' dominant win over Bengals in Week 5

With all the injuries the Lions have suffered over the past several seasons, Detroit has never had to really worry about Joseph. He's only missed two starts (both in 2023), while consistently improving each year. Joseph earned an All-Pro honor in 2024, while also leading the league in interceptions with nine. Despite his stellar 2024 season, he is still waiting for his first career Pro Bowl honor, as well.

READ MORE: 4 winners (and 2 losers) from Lions' dominant win over Bengals in Week 5

Through five games, Kerby Joseph and the Detroit Lions hold a 4-1 record with Joseph leading the league in interceptions so far. The Lions took care of business with a dominating Cincy win by 37-24. The game included two sacks from Hutchinson and Derrick Barnes, along with three interceptions from Alex Anzalone, Joseph, and Amik Roberston.

With the Lions clicking on all cylinders, and in all phases of the game, Joseph should have plenty of opportunities to continue to climb in the record books. Teams are being forced to pass in order to stay competitive, which plays right into Joseph's hands. His 20 interceptions have him placed in 11th in the history of the Lions franchise.