Big Play Slay nearly became a Big Pittsburgh Steeler. Pro Bowl and one-time All-Pro cornerback Darius Slay revealed the Steelers interest in him ahead of the 2023 season before pivoting in a different direction.
“Mike Tomlin, one of the best coaches in the NFL, man,” he said on his aptly named Big Play Slay podcast. “What’s so crazy is I almost was almost was going to them, too. They hit me up, too. [T.J. Watt] text me. Cam Heyward text me and talking about come in there. Before I ever got to make the decision, I think they signed [Patrick Peterson] so they kind of chilled out for a minute. But I was almost a Pittsburgh Steeler as well.”
Slay’s 2023 offseason was a unique one. After finishing his 2022 season in Philadelphia, many expected Slay to be released. Reports indicated he would be cut before a last-second decision from the organization allowed him to restructure his contract and remain in Philadelphia.
Technically never a free agent, though someone the Eagles permitted to seek a trade, it’s unclear if the team ever had official contact with Slay’s side. At the least, it seems players were reaching out in anticipation of being released and perhaps there were some back-channel conversations with his agent once word got out the Eagles could be moving on from Slay.
That timeline meshes with Peterson’s signing. Peterson officially inked his deal with Pittsburgh the same day Slay re-worked his deal to stay with Philadelphia. Peterson was still the more economical option, a two-year pact worth $14 million. He saw just the first year of that before being released. Still a free agent, Peterson recently said he’s open to signing with a new team but given the lack of interest and his age, retirement seems like his path.
Darius Slay made the Pro Bowl in 2023 after breaking up 14 passes and intercepting a pair of them. Through 11 games this year, he’s still searching for his first pick but has 10 breakups and two tackles for a loss. He’ll face the Steelers this weekend in the battle for the Keystone State.
While Slay did use the words “almost a Pittsburgh Steeler,” that sounds like a stretch. He was never an official free agent and Pittsburgh presumably never made an offer. Given that they let CB Cam Sutton leave for roughly the same money, they probably weren’t going to spend huge dollars on an older cornerback like Slay. But there was a push from some in the building — players, coaches, or both — to test the waters. With Slay 33 and signed through 2025, there probably won’t be the same level of interest the next time around.
