The Philadelphia Eagles are releasing veteran cornerback Darius Slay, according to CBS Sports lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. This ends a decorated five-season stint with Philadelphia, which included three Pro Bowl nods and, most recently, a win in Super Bowl LIX.
The writing was on the wall for Slay’s tenure to come to a close with the Eagles this offseason since the 34-year-old was entering the final year of his contract. On top of entering what would’ve been a lame-duck year, there was also no guaranteed money left on his contract, which further emphasized either his release or a restructuring of some sort. The club has since opted for the former, and Slay will now enter the open market.
As ESPN reports, the Eagles will be releasing Slay with a post-June 1 designation, which means the organization will clear $4.3 million off its salary cap this offseason.
Slay joined the Eagles in March of 2020 when the club executed a trade with the Detroit Lions, who drafted him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. During his time in Detroit, Slay established himself as one of the league’s top corners, earning three Pro Bowl nods and a first-team All-Pro honor in 2017 after co-leading the league in interceptions.
This past regular season, Slay started in all 14 of his games played, notching 49 tackles, 13 pass breakups, and one forced fumble. In coverage, he allowed an 81.9 passer rating and a 54.7 completion percentage when targeted. During Philadelphia’s playoff run to a Super Bowl LIX title, Slay started all four postseason games and totaled five pass breakups and an interception.
As for where Slay could end up, let’s highlight a handful of landing spots
As CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones points out, the Steelers could present an interesting destination for Slay due to the presence of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. Slay played for Austin during their shared time in Detroit, including in 2017 when the corner was named a first-team All-Pro. That connection aside, there’s also a need at the position. Outside of Joey Porter Jr., corners Donte Jackson (15 starts), James Pierce, C.J. Henderson and Cameron Sutton are all slated to hit free agency, thinning out the position group. Pittsburgh also has just under $60 million in cap space available this offseason, making a pursuit of Slay an easy financial endeavor.
Detroit Lions
Why not go back to where it all began? If Slay wants to remain with a championship contender, he could head back to Detroit and help get the Lions over the hump. Of course, it’s a different regime than the one he left via trade in 2020, but the Lions certainly could use a veteran like Slay in their secondary. Last season, the club surrendered the third-most passing yards per game in the league (244.0). It’s also worth pointing out that starter Carlton Davis is set to be an unrestricted free agent.
2025 NFL free agency rumors: Eagles’ Darius Slay reveals which other team he’d be interested in joining
Cody Benjamin
Even after trading for Deebo Samuel to bolster the receiver room, the Commanders have money to spend. To be exact, the club has $64.4 million, which is the seventh-most in the entire league. Washington knows firsthand how impactful Slay can be to a secondary watching him in Philadelphia, and he could help a unit that tried to get help at corner last season by trading for Marshon Lattimore, but it never materialized. With Jayden Daniels proving to be a bonafide franchise quarterback, it’d be wise for Washington to take swings on players like Slay while Daniels is still on his rookie deal.
The Bills had a bottom-10 pass defense in the league last season, allowing the ninth-most passing yards and the eighth-most passing touchdowns overall. They were also abysmal on third down, creating a drastic need to boost the secondary in a conference that includes an array of elite quarterbacks. Moreover, starting cornerback Rasul Douglas is set to hit free agency, further digging them in a hole at the position group. Slay not only could come in and help increase the production, but also provide someone with Super Bowl-winning experience for a team that has struggled to get over the hump in the AFC. One hurdle for this landing spot, however, is Buffalo’s current cap situation as it is $10.2 million over the cap at the moment. The Bills will need to get their books in order before making a run at Slay.
Philadelphia Eagles
While the Eagles are releasing Slay, let’s not rule out a return. FOX Sports reports it is a possibility these two sides reunite after Slay tests the market, and this release is merely for financial reasons. Given that Slay is in the twilight of his career, he could opt to head back to Philadelphia and chase a second-consecutive Super Bowl title.
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