What happened: Detroit designated the 25-year-old safety to return to practice Wednesday as he works back from a knee injury, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Both starting safeties had been sidelined since the Lions placed Joseph and Brian Branch on the PUP list ahead of the season. Joseph remains listed as PUP-R but is expected to play during the 2026 campaign after returning to the practice field.

Why it matters: Reuniting the safety tandem bolsters Detroit's pass defense with the Lions holding the NFC's No. 6 seed at 4-2 on a two-game winning streak. Branch returned to game action for Sunday's 20-17 victory, and getting Joseph back alongside him restores both starters to the secondary.

What to watch: Detroit has 21 days to evaluate Joseph in practice and activate him to the active roster.