It was not a long tenure for Philadelphia Eagles CB Darius Slay in black and gold. The veteran cornerback and the Pittsburgh Steelers have split ways on Tuesday to make room for Asante Samuel Jr.
Slay was a healthy scratch this past Sunday, marking a third consecutive week that the cornerback did not start for the Steelers after he was available from suffering a concussion on Nov. 9, forcing him to miss the following game.
Now, there is a possibility that “Big Play Slay” can return to Philadelphia.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the Eagles and Slay have “mutual interest” in a return, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark.
Slay is not a free agent and will need to clear waivers for a possible return to Philadelphia. Or, the Eagles can put a claim in, but would need 20 other teams to pass on him first for them to have a chance.
One of those teams ahead of the Eagles is the Detroit Lions, who are in need of a cornerback with the season-ending injury to Terrion Arnold this week.
A homecoming to Philadelphia could make sense for Slay. He closed out a five-year tenure in the City of Brotherly Love with a career year in his final season with the Eagles, capping it off with a Super Bowl ring.
He started and played in 14 games, recording 49 tackles (39 solo) while pacing the defense with 13 pass breakups, marking the third straight season he had 13 or more passes defended as an Eagle.
The six-time Pro Bowler signed a one-year, $10 million deal with about $8.75 million being paid in a signing bonus after the Eagles released him with a post-June 1 designation that helped the team save $4 million in cap space. With the Steelers, he played in 10 games, making nine starts, and recorded 36 total tackles (28 solo) and three pass deflections.
When a team still in the hunt for a playoff spot waives a player of Slay’s stature, it is usually due to performance. Slay was certainly not playing well in Pittsburgh, and there is certainly cause for concern that Slay has lost a step. The Eagles perhaps saw it firsthand, hence why they let him walk in the offseason.
But times have changed since the start of the season. The Eagles have been sending out the combination of Adoree’ Jackson, when he can stay healthy, and Kelee Ringo opposite of Quinyon Mitchell and getting below-average to average performances at best from the duo. Jakorian Bennett, who was brought in via trade earlier in the year from Las Vegas, has yet to make any impact on the field as he makes his way back from injury.
The Eagles took a flier on Jaire Alexander, hoping he could provide depth at the position, and that experiment lasted all but two weeks.
So what do the Eagles have to lose by bringing back Slay?
He is familiar with the players, coaching staff and way of life in Philadelphia. He also won’t cost much. If another team claims him, including the Eagles, they would be responsible for paying the unpaid portion of the one-year deal he signed with the Steelers, which equates to less than $2 million. Perhaps most importantly, he is familiar with Vic Fangio’s defense, which is crucial in terms of getting on the field.
