For Pittsburgh Steelers fans, most of the attention leading up to free agency has been on quarterback and wide receiver. However, those aren’t their only positions of need. Corner is another weakness they need to address. While they could draft one, there are multiple quality free agent corners available. Darius Slay, recently released by the Philadelphia Eagles, is one notable name on the market, and it seems like he might be interested in playing in Pittsburgh.
“I would love that, in a way of just saying those are the two teams I want to play for is for sure the Philadelphia Eagles or the Detroit Lions,” Slay said Wednesday on his podcast, Big Play Slay. “We’ll see.
“But I feel like in this league, definitely now that I’m a free agent, I got a good chance to see what other teams are looking to offer your boy. There’s a lot of great coaches I would love to play for. Y’all know I got a big hype with big Mike [Tomlin] over there in Pittsburgh.”
This isn’t the first time Slay has talked about how much he respects Tomlin. It sounds like that could be a big reason why he’s drawn to the Steelers, although they might not be his first choice.
While the Eagles just cut him, Slay did win a Super Bowl with them. That’s been his home for the past five years, so he’s got a strong connection there. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him reunite with the Eagles. Philadelphia did something similar with defensive lineman Fletcher Cox in 2023. They released him and then re-signed him on a cheaper deal.
The Lions also make sense as a landing spot for Slay. He spent the first seven years of his NFL career there, and they could use his veteran leadership in their secondary. With the Lions a serious contender now, Slay could be interested in a homecoming.
While Slay is a decorated player, he might not be the Steelers’ best option. He was solid in 2024, but it was his first season without an interception since his rookie year. While that doesn’t mean everything, he’s 34 years old. It isn’t often that corners continue to be effective at that age. There’s a good chance Slay takes a step back in 2025.
Whether it’s Slay or not, the Steelers need to upgrade at corner. Their secondary struggled down the stretch last season, and they have multiple pending free agents there, too, like Donte Jackson and Cam Sutton. Slay might still be effective in 2025, but Father Time is undefeated. It sounds like he’s going to test his market, and maybe he’ll get the chance to play for Tomlin. That seems to be something he’s interested in doing.
