While other teams have been agreeing to terms with some of the biggest names available, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been relatively quiet in free agency. It was reported that they signed corner Darius Slay, but it seems that might not be true yet. Slay is a six-time Pro Bowler, being one of the best corners in the NFL at one time. However, at 34 years old, he might be poised to take a step back. Despite that, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson believes adding Slay would be great for Pittsburgh.
“Darius Slay is well capable of still being an elite corner in this NFL,” Johnson said recently on his Nightcap podcast. “If you watched him play last year, if you seen some clips that I saw, he still got it.”
Johnson is correct that Slay was still effective last year with the Philadelphia Eagles. While he didn’t have any interceptions, he did help them win a Super Bowl after making the Pro Bowl in three straight years from 2021-23. Maybe he has some gas left in the tank. Slay has a solid reputation, and he could be solid addition to the Steelers.
Also, the Steelers have a young cornerback room. Joey Porter Jr. only has two NFL seasons under his belt. Cory Trice Jr. also got drafted two years ago, but he missed his first year due to injury. Therefore, he really only has one year of NFL experience. Slay could be a nice mentor for them.
Johnson seems to believe that the pairing of Slay and Porter in 2025 would be great.
“Might be two of the best pairings outside of Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins,” he said. “I like Nate Wiggins, he’s a little on the slim side, but he’s nice. Joey Porter, Darius Slay, I like that. I really like that. I’m telling you, Slay’s still like that.”
Porter had a nice rookie year, but he didn’t take a huge jump in 2024. Last year, Donte Jackson was his running mate, and that went well for a while. However, during the second half of the season, Jackson’s play took a step back. The Steelers’ secondary as a whole dealt with issues. Part of that was due to injuries, but even when everyone was healthy, they still struggled.
Slay could help prevent that from happening again. The Eagles had some issues in the secondary to start the 2024 season, but they eventually got things figured out. They also had several young players seeing significant playing time. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean were two of the best rookies in the NFL last year. Perhaps part of that was due to Slay’s veteran wisdom.
It’s important to note that no deal appears to be done between Slay and the Steelers yet. It sounds like there’s interest but that the process has hit a few snags. However, if he does come to Pittsburgh, he could help stabilize their secondary. Slay could provide decent play opposite Porter, while also mentoring some of the younger members of the secondary.
