The Detroit Lions have agreed to a four-year, $86 million extension with All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
The deal makes Joseph the highest-paid safety in NFL history with an average of $21.5 million per year. That surpasses the $21 million deal for Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The $19.1 million deal for Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. ranks third.
Joseph addressed the media for the first time Thursday during the opening round of the 2025 NFL draft. He opened his news conference with some thank-yous to the Lions organization as well as his teammates and family.
"Honestly, the money never motivated me, I do this because I love it," Joseph said. "Of course, it's a bonus. It come with it, but I really play this game because I love it and it was just honestly, I just have a certain passion for this game. I feel like I can never let go. Honestly, it's always gonna be motivation, but it's a mentality within myself."
With his contract extension now set through the 2029 season, he has major goals in Detroit.
"I want to be the best. I need to be the best. I need to put on that gold jacket," Joseph said. "I feel like it's just everything I ever worked for all my life. I just feel like that gold jacket and you mix that in with a Super Bowl ... a Super Bowl jacket, I feel like that's just a great little mix right there and you can't never take that away from me. So, I just feel like that's just two things that I really wanna go for."
Joseph will be entering his fourth season in the league after the Lions selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft.
He led the NFL with nine interceptions last season, tied for the most by any Lions player of the last 50 years. (Jimmy Allen also had nine in 1981.) That included a pick-six in a 24-14 win at Green Bay on Nov. 3. He also was third on the team with 83 tackles.
Joseph led the NFL in passer rating allowed in coverage last season. He also allowed the third-lowest completion percentage, according to Next Gen Stats.
Joseph was one of four Lions to receive first-team All-Pro honors, along with receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, punter Jack Fox and right tackle Penei Sewell. Detroit's four selections tied the 1991 Lions for the most in franchise history since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger.
Joseph, an Orlando, Florida, native, has recorded at least four interceptions in each of his first three seasons at safety, which hasn't happened since Hall of Famer Ed Reed from 2002-04.
Information from ESPN Research was used in this report.