The Detroit Lions recently revoked the credentials of their beat writer, John Maakaron, which has drawn a strong reaction from the NFL community. Now the controversy has spilled over to social media after the Lions safety called out Maakaron. 

The Motor City team’s safety Kerby Joseph went out on his X and hit back against the posts that John Maakaron wrote about him getting placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list ahead of the 2026 NFL season. 

“lol this y they banned u,” Kerby Joseph wrote on X.

He replied to Maakaron’s post on X, where he wrote, “Why would a player go on social media to dispel something and let down the Detroit Lions fans? It’s so weird.”

The Lions put the 25-year-old safety on the PUP list because of his lingering knee issues. 

Kerby Joseph suffered a chronic left knee injury in Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season during a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Since then, he has been battling ‌his knee issues. 

After OTAs, Joseph posted a few clips of himself dancing at the Lions facility, where he was seen bending his affected knee. Many in the community believed he could play in the 2026 season.

Maakaron claims that throughout the season, Joseph continued to hit back at multiple NFL pundits regarding his injury.

So far, there have been no clear updates on his return to the gridiron, but the Lions decided to put him on the PUP list along with Brian Branch and Tyler Conklin.

It might not be the end for Kerby Joseph. As the Lions released the PUP list, Joseph sought blessings from the fans. 

Lions safety asks fans for prayers amid injury recovery

As reported by Detroit Lions beat writer John Maakaron on SI, the Lions safety Kerby Joseph shared an update on his injury and sought support from fans. 

"I can’t tell yall everything lol…Update fr. My faith is unbreakable,” Kerby Joseph wrote on his X. “I can walk now. I’m not in hella pain nomore so I’m not dropping to the floor like the Kansas game. If yall wanna know if I can play this season just ask God … send some prayers also."

In a series of posts on X, the Lions safety acknowledged that he could not reveal every detail about his rehabilitation but shared encouraging progress since suffering the knee injury last season.

As of now, he has made meaningful progress in his recovery, but it is still a long way to go. 

Instead of posting every update on social media, he leaned on his faith and asked Lions’ fans to keep him in their thoughts as he continues working toward getting back on the field.

As of now, he is placed on the physically unable to perform list, and his status for the start of the regular season remains uncertain.

Do you think he will still be able to make it to the regular season games? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker