Former Eagle CB Darius Slay Calls It A Career
Darius Slay may be among the most underappreciated athletes in Eagles history. He joined the Eagles in 2020 and, for 5 years, locked down the Eagles CB1 role. Now, 1…
Darius Slay may be among the most underappreciated athletes in Eagles history. He joined the Eagles in 2020 and, for 5 years, locked down the Eagles CB1 role. Now, 1 year after the Eagles released him, Slay is calling it a career. He announced his retirement after saying previously that the only team he would return to play for is the Eagles.
In his 13-year career, Slay made 6 Pro Bowls and was a first team All-Pro in 2017. He finished his career with 28 picks and 168 PBUs. Perhaps his most memorable performance was shutting down Justin Jefferson in 2022. Jefferson had just 2 catches for 19 yards when covered by Slay. Slay came away with 2 picks in the game, and Kirk Cousins had a 0 Passer rating when targeting him.
Darius Slay spent last year with the Steelers, but played in just 10 games. The Steelers eventually released him, putting him on waivers. It seemed the Eagles had interest in a reunion, but the Bills swooped in and prevented that. Slay opted not to play for the Bills. He had interest in returning to the Eagles this offseason, but with the Eagles' CB room already crowded, he decided to retire instead.
Darius Slay Beloved In The Eagles Locker Room
At times in his 5 years with the Eagles, he got a bad rap. Some fans were not always happy with his honesty, and he built a habit of saying things on podcasts that got him in trouble.
But what was missed by those controversies is how loved Slay was in that Locker Room. Slay often took the young members of the secondary under his wing. He played a huge role in coaching Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in their rookie seasons, and took Reed Blankenship under his wing to make him the next young leader on the defense.
There is a reason Slay's teammates elected him as a captain for 2 straight seasons from 2022 to 2024. An honor that meant a ton to Slay.
“That’s probably one of the biggest achievements of my career," Slay said after hearing the news. "Never been a captain before. So I’m like, ‘yeah, man, had me a little teary-eyed for a minute.’ I ain’t gonna lie. I was in the huddle like, ‘Oh snap.’ It’s a blessing, man, to be honored like that. I appreciate that from my teammates.”
