Back at the start of training camp, Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph made his goals for the 2024 season public.

“For sure, I want to lead the league in interceptions….,Joseph said, “That’s one of my main goals. I want to be more consistent. I want to be more of a leader on the defense.”

The second goal is mostly intangibly evident, but Joseph got the first goal done with a league-leading nine interceptions. He was a notable and egregious Pro Bowl snub, which he shrugged off in deference to the lofty and more meaningful league-wide honor he did get: AP First-Team All-Pro.

It’s rare for a defensive back to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year, but Joseph (83 total tackles, 12 pass breakups, Pro Football Focus’ No. 1-graded safety during the regular season, to go with his nine interceptions), is firmly in the conversation this year.

Kerby Joseph declares his candidacy for Defensive Player of the Year

Joseph was the guest for Tuesday’s episode of “NFL Spotlight” with Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. His worthiness for Defensive Player of the Year was an easy topic, and Joseph did not mince words.

“Hey, DPOY, I need that. That needs to be me. I need that,” Joseph said. “They can do all that with the Pro Bowl stuff, but DPOY, I feel like I deserve that for sure. I feel like I’ve came in clutch for my team many times. I’ve done made plays that nobody’s made. Nobody’s really making plays like how I’m making plays.”

Joseph also opened up about his Pro Bowl snub, in which he clearly took a hit in the two-thirds of the voting that comes from players and coaches due to the perception he’s a dirty player.

“To be honest, I feel like it’s — people can’t handle greatness, man,” Joseph said. “People can’t handle greatness. If you look at it, I have every deserving right to be in the Pro Bowl. But they did it how they did it, and I wasn’t in there.”

“Doesn’t make no sense. But I’m kind of glad it happened, because it shows y’all what the Pro Bowl really is,” Joseph continued. “It don’t make no sense for me not to be in there. I’m leading the league in interceptions, I should be in there. But the fact that I’m not in there, that says something about the Pro Bowl.”

Regarding “what the Pro Bowl really is”, Joseph knows it’s basically a popularity contest.

“The Pro Bowl, I feel like they’re just hating on me, man,” Joseph said. “I’ve got a couple teams out there that don’t like me. There’s a couple teams out there that don’t like me, a couple fan bases out there that don’t like me, whatever. It’s cool.”

The Pro Bowl snub will notably cost Joseph a lot of 2025 salary, with proves the fallacy of attaching pay boosts to the results of a voting process that can easily be biased against someone. But a looming, and seemingly inevitable, contract extension from the Lions this offseason is sure to soften that blow.