The Philadelphia Eagles capped off their 2024 season resoundingly winning Super Bowl 59 40-22. Veteran cornerback Darius Slay Jr. was surprisingly traded to the Eagles in the 2020 offseason after making the Pro Bowl in 2019 and became a critical piece of Philadelphia’s defense.
Slay recently went on “The St. Brown Podcast” and said he plans to play one more season, hoping it’s for Philadelphia or the team that drafted him.
Darius Slay Jr. Says He Wants To Play for the Eagles or the Lions
Slay was selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft and spent his first seven seasons in Detroit. The 2017 season was his best, leading the league with eight interceptions and 26 pass breakups. He was named to the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro that year. He made the Pro Bowl the next two seasons but had a falling out with head coach Matt Patricia and was traded to the Eagles.
In his five seasons with Philadelphia, Slay has proven he’s an elite cornerback by making the Pro Bowl three more times and starting in two Super Bowls. NFL senior news writer Kevin Patra wrote about Slay’s podcast appearance and mentioned that the veteran recognizes that his contract situation may lead to the Eagles releasing him, similar to what happened in 2023 before agreeing to a restructure, but he hopes for a Philadelphia return.
Six-time Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay, 34, eyes one more year in NFL with either Eagles or Lions: "The two spots I would love to always be at is Philly or Detroit"https://t.co/dbVY6ap5z6 pic.twitter.com/PkYsTFjcmF
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) February 20, 2025
Patra said, “Philly could use some additional salary cap space with several high-profile free agents, including defensive linemen Milton Williams and Josh Sweat and linebacker Zack Baun, headed to the market. During an interview on ‘The St. Brown Podcast,’ Slay noted that he plans to play one more season. He said he’d like to finish the final year of his contract in Philadelphia but knows the business side might not let that happen.”
On the podcast, Slay said, “I’ve got one more left [on my contract], but you know how that works. Whatever they want to do, I might re-sign back, hopefully. If I ain’t, we’ll see what I’m doing because I do want to play one more year, for sure.”
The Eagles would have to deal with $22.7 million in dead money and $8.9 million against the salary cap if they cut Slay before June 1. A post-June 1 cut is more palatable, bringing the dead money number down to $9.4 million and saving $4.3 million in cap space.
Patra mentioned Philadelphia’s rookie cornerback combo of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean makes saying goodbye to Slay easier and would give the team more money for free agency.
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Lions’ receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown hosts the podcast and half-jokingly recruited Slay by saying, “So it sounds like you don’t mind coming back.”
Slay responded, “If it is, it is. If it ain’t, it ain’t,” he said. “For sure, the two spots I would love to always be at is Philly or Detroit. The main two, the main ones I’d love to be at.”
It’s down to Philadelphia or Detroit for Slay’s final year. It’s unfortunately not up to him if either team wants a reunion.