A year before the NFL Draft, Joseph was not regarded as a highly touted prospect and wasn't on any big boards since he was still an underclassman and only had played two games at South Carolina. He began to improve his stock after playing well in 2005. Joseph was invited to the NFL Combine and after running a 4.31 40-yard dash, his draft stock immediately soared. Scouts and analysts projected him as a first or second-round pick. Joseph was ranked the third-best cornerback by NFLDraftScout.com. [3]
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Joseph in the first round (24th overall) of the 2006 NFL draft. He was the third cornerback selected in the first round (15th Tye Hill, 19th Antonio Cromartie). [6]
2006 season
On July 31, 2006, the Bengals signed Joseph to a five-year, $8.10 million contract with $4.82 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $1.09 million. [7] [8] He entered training camp competing with veteran Tory James and Deltha O'Neal for a starting cornerback position. Joseph was named the third cornerback on the depth chart behind O'Neal and James to begin the season and was named the nickelback. [7]
Joseph earned the start over O'Neal in the season-opener against the Kansas City Chiefs and finished with three solo tackles in a 23–10 victory. On November 12, 2006, Joseph started his third game and made five solo tackles in a 31–16 victory over the New Orleans Saints. He started in place of Deltha O'Neal who suffered a shoulder injury the previous week and would miss the following three games. [9] Joseph remained the starter the rest of the season. During a Week 13 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, he recorded seven combined tackles and a season-high four pass deflections in a 13–7 victory. On December 31, 2006, Joseph made a season-high ten combined tackles and two pass deflections in a 23–17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. [10]
Joseph finished his rookie season with 58 combined tackles (45 solo) and 20 pass break-ups in 16 games and nine starts. [11]
2007 season
With the departure of Tory James in free agency and Deltha O'Neal receiving shoulder surgery in the off-season, Joseph was slated to be the Bengals' starting cornerback. He faced competition for his starting position after the Bengals drafted cornerback Leon Hall with the 18th overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. Joseph was named the starting right cornerback, opposite Deltha O'Neal, to begin the season. Hall and O'Neal were the starters for the season-opener against the Baltimore Ravens, but Joseph made two combined tackles in the 27–20 victory. The following week, he made his first start of the season and recorded three solo tackles in a 51–45 loss to the Cleveland Browns. On October 21, 2007, Joseph made five combined tackles and intercepted Chad Pennington for the first pick of his career. He returned it for a 42-yard touchdown and helped defeat New York Jets by a score of 38–31. On November 25, 2007, he recorded five combined tackles, three pass deflections, and intercepted Vince Young as the Bengals routed the Titans 35–6. The next game, Joseph made a season-high seven solo tackles and intercepted Ben Roethlisberger's pass during a 24–10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. [10] In Week 16, he made a season-high tying seven combined tackles and intercepted Cleveland Browns' quarterback Derek Anderson in a 19–14 victory. [12] Joseph finished the 2007 season with 62 combined tackles (49 solo), 15 pass deflections, four interceptions, and a touchdown. [10] He was second on the team with four interceptions, behind Leon Hall's five interceptions. [13]
2008 season
After Deltha O'Neal left during free agency, Leon Hall and Joseph became the Bengals' starting cornerbacks. He was named the left cornerback to begin the regular season. [14]
Joseph started the season-opener against the Baltimore Ravens and made five combined tackles and three pass deflections, and recovered Ray Rice's fumble and returned it for a 65-yard touchdown in a 17–10 loss. [15] He missed three games (Weeks 3–5) with an ankle injury and returned as a starter in Week 6, making three solo tackles and three pass deflections in a 26–14 loss to the New York Jets. On November 2, 2008, Joseph recorded a career-high 15 combined tackle (11 solo) and two pass deflections in a 21–19 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the next game, he made five combined tackles and three pass deflections, and intercepted Donovan McNabb in a 13–13 tie with the Philadelphia Eagles. [16] On November 21, 2008, Joseph was added to injured-reserve after a recurring foot injury. [17] Joseph finished with 42 combined tackles (31 solo), 13 pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown in eight games and seven starts. [10]
2009 season
Joseph returned to his starting role in 2009 and combined with Leon Hall to become one of the better cornerback duos in the league. [18]
On September 27, 2008, Joseph made six combined tackles and a pass deflection, and intercepted Ben Roethlisberger and returned it for a 30-yard touchdown, en route to a 22–19 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The following game, he recorded two solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted Derek Anderson in a 23–20 victory over the Cleveland Browns. [19] During a Week 5 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, Joseph had three solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted Joe Flacco in a 17–14 victory. [20] He had three consecutive games with an interception, which marked the longest streak of his career. On December 6, 2009, he made a season-high eight solo tackles and a pass deflection in a 23–13 defeat over the Detroit Lions. In Week 15, Joseph racked up six solo tackles and intercepted Matt Cassel for his sixth interception of the season, as the Bengals routed the Kansas City Chiefs 17–10. [21] Joseph finished the season with 69 combined tackles (58 solo), 20 deflected passes, and a forced fumble in 16 games and starts. He also made a career-high six interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. [10] He was ranked the sixth best cornerback by Pro Football Focus and posted a +14.5 in the measures. [22]
The Bengals finished atop the AFC North with a 10–6 record. They faced the New York Jets in the AFC Wildcard game and Joseph made five combined tackles in the 24–14 loss. After the season, USA Today named Joseph to their annual "All-Joe" team which recognizes quality players that don't get their due. [23] In December 2009, Sports Illustrated writer Peter King called Joseph and Hall "the best tandem in the NFL". [24] Leon Hall and Joseph were named the Cincinnati Bengals' co-MVPS.
2010 season
The Bengals entered the season with high expectations after ranking fourth in yards allowed in 2009. With the addition of Adam Jones, they entered with one of the most talented cornerback teams in the league. Hall and Joseph were ranked the third best cornerback tandem in 2009 by the AFC North Blog, behind Al Harris and Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers and Darrelle Revis and Lito Sheppard of the New York Jets. [18]
Joseph started the season-opener against the New England Patriots and made six solo tackles in a 38–24 loss. On October 10, 2010, he recorded two combined tackles and two pass deflections, and intercepted Josh Freeman in a 24–21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Joseph missed Weeks 7 and 8 with a sprained ankle and returned in Week 9 making four combined tackles in a 27–21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. On November 21, 2010, he recorded two solo tackles and intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick in a 49–31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. [25]
Joseph finished the season with a career-lows 42 combined tackles (37 solo), eight pass deflections, three interceptions, and a touchdown in 12 games and starts. [10] At the end of the season, he completed his rookie contract and became a free agent. Joseph entered negotiations with the Bengals and received two offers from them.
Houston Texans
On July 29, 2011, the Houston Texans signed Joseph to a five-year, $48.75 million contract with $23.50 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $12.50 million. [26] Joseph and former Chicago Bears safety Danieal Manning were signed to help improve a defense that was ranked 30th overall and 32nd in pass defense. [27]
2011 season
Joseph entered the 2011 season as the Texans' de facto starting cornerback, opposite Kareem Jackson. Joseph started the season-opener and made five combined tackles in a 34–7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The following week, he recorded four solo tackles and three pass deflections, and intercepted Miami Dolphins' quarterback Chad Henne in a 23–13 victory. It was his first interception as a Texan. [28] During Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, Joseph racked up three solo tackles and two pass deflections, and intercepted Drew Brees in the 40–33 loss. On October 16, 2011, Joseph made a season-high seven combined tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco in a 29–14 road loss.
Joseph finished his first season with the Texans with a total of four interceptions and 15 passes defended. He also registered 44 combined tackles (40 solo) and a forced fumble. [10] On December 28, 2011, Joseph was invited to the 2012 Pro Bowl. [29] and was named a second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press. [30] On January 7, 2012, Joseph made six solo tackles and intercepted Andy Dalton in a 31–10 victory over his former team, the Cincinnati Bengals. [31] marking the Texans first ever playoff victory. [32] During the AFC Divisional Round, the Texans were defeated by the Ravens. Joseph made two solo tackles in the game. On January 29, 2012, he appeared in his first career Pro Bowl and intercepted Cam Newton, as the AFC defeated the NFC, 59–41. [10]
2012 season
On May 9, 2012, Joseph was announced as the 73rd-ranked player on the NFL Top 100. [33]
Joseph started the season-opener and finished the 30–10 victory over the Miami Dolphins with five combined tackles and a pass deflection, and intercepted Ryan Tannehill. [34] On October 14, 2012, he made a season-high seven combined tackles in a 42–24 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The following week, Joseph made five combined tackles and a pass deflection, and intercepted Joe Flacco and returned it for a 52-yard touchdown in a 43–13 win over the Baltimore Ravens. [35] Joseph missed Weeks 11 and 12 due to a groin injury.
Joseph finished the season with 57 combined tackles (52 solo), 11 pass deflections, two interceptions, and touchdown in 14 games and starts. [10] He was selected to his second Pro Bowl along with eight of his Texans teammates. [36]
2013 season
During the off-season, Joseph had surgery to repair two sports hernias he had endured through the year before and attributed the defensive passing game falling to 16th in 2012 to multiple hamstring, groin, and hernia injuries. He entered training camp at 100%. [37]
Joseph started the season-opener against the San Diego Chargers and made two solo tackles and two pass deflections in a 31–28 victory. In Week 3, he made two solo tackles, three pass deflections, and intercepted Russell Wilson for his first pick of the season in a 23–20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. On December 13, 2013, Joseph made a season-high nine combined tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted Andrew Luck in a 25–3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Joseph had a surgery in December to repair a torn ligament in his toe. [38]
Joseph finished the season with a combined 47 tackles (43 solo), 16 pass deflections, and three interceptions in 15 games and starts. The Texans finished the season with a 2–14 record and head coach Gary Kubiak was fired after Week 15. [10] Football Outsiders ranked him fifth among qualified corners with a 63% success rate. [39]
2014 season
Joseph returned to his starting role, along with Kareem Jackson, under new head coach Bill O'Brien to begin 2014. In the season-opener, Joseph made 11 solo tackles in a 17–6 victory over the Washington Redskins. On November 23, 2014, he made three combined tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception for a 60-yard touchdown in a 22–13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Joseph finished the season with a career-high 75 combined tackles (70 solo), 11 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and a touchdown in 16 games and starts. [10] Joseph's rank fell to 30th in Football Outsiders success rate. [39] Pro Football Focus ranked him the 20th-best coverman in 2014.
2015 season
Joseph entered training camp facing competition from Kevin Johnson who was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft and A. J. Bouye. Kareem Jackson and Joseph were able to maintain their starting roles to begin the season. [40]
On June 18, 2015, the Texans signed him to a two-year, $13.50 million contract with $11.50 million guaranteed. [26]
Joseph started the season-opener against the Kansas City Chiefs and made four solo tackles and a pass deflection in a 27–20 loss. On November 16, 2015, Joseph made four solo tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted Andy Dalton in a 10–6 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 12, he made a season-high seven combined tackles in, as the Texans routed the New Orleans Saints 24–6. The Texans finished atop the AFC South with a 9–7 record. Joseph started the AFC Wildcard game and made two combined tackles as the Texans were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 30–0. He finished the season with 56 combined tackles (46 solo), a career-high 22 pass deflections, and a touchdown in 16 games and starts. [10] Football Outsiders ranked him 31st with a 54% success rate. [41]
2016 season
Joseph started the season-opener against the Chicago Bears and made four combined tackles and a pass deflection in a 23–14 victory. [42] On November 13, 2016, Joseph recorded a season-high eight solo tackles and a pass deflection during a 24–21 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. [43] During Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers, he made four solo tackles but left in the third quarter of the 21–13 loss, due to a rib injury. Joseph missed the next two games with two cracked ribs and a bruised lung. [44]
Joseph finishing the season with 45 combined tackles (38 solo), nine pass deflections, and posted his first season in his career without an interception in 13 games and 11 starts. [10] The Texans finished atop the AFC South with a 9–7 record. On January 7, 2017, Joseph made ten solo tackles and three pass deflections in a 27–14 AFC Wildcard victory over the Oakland Raiders. [45]
2017 season
In Week 5, Joseph collected a season-high six combined tackles in a 42–34 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. [46] In the next game, he recorded three combined tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, two interceptions, and a touchdown during a 33–17 victory against the Cleveland Browns. Joseph returned an interception by Kevin Hogan, that was intended for Duke Johnson, for an 82-yard touchdown in the second quarter. [47] His performance in Week 6 earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week. [48] Joseph finished the 2017 season with 47 combined tackles (37 solo), nine pass deflections, two interceptions, and a touchdown in 16 games and starts. [49] Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 75.7, which ranked 65th among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2017. [50]
2018 season
On March 15, 2018, the Texans signed Joseph to a two-year, $10 million contract with $3.90 million guaranteed. [51] [26]
During Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills, Joseph intercepted Nathan Peterman late in the fourth quarter and returned it for a 28-yard touchdown to win the game 20–13. [52]
2019 season
In the 2019 season, Joseph recorded 51 tackles, 13 pass deflections, and an interception in 14 games and 11 starts.
On March 18, 2020, Joseph and the Texans mutually agreed to part ways, making him a free agent. [53]
