Even at 34 years old, cornerback Darius Slay can still play. The rest of the NFL agrees. So when Slay officially became a free agent, he had plenty of offers. None more tempting than the Pittsburgh Steelers, Slay agreeing to a one-year, $10 million deal with them.
In his first podcast since inking his deal, Slay said the Steelers had plenty of competition for his services.
“I had some teams call,” Slay said on his Big Play Slay podcast. “I had some great teams interested. Buffalo was interested, Detroit was. [Arizona] was. Even the Giants was. The Colts were, I think, for sure. And, of course, Pittsburgh.”
For the first time of his long career, Slay became a free agent. Previously, he either re-signed with his current team before becoming a free agent or was traded, dealt from Detroit to Philadelphia in 2020. He was nearly released in 2023 but struck a deal with the Eagles to keep him on roster, a move that paid off and resulted in Slay winning his first Super Bowl.
His comment about the Lions being interested is notable. The team that drafted him, he previously implied Detroit topped his list above Pittsburgh. But either he was sold on a better opportunity with the Steelers or Pittsburgh’s contract offer was clearly better. Perhaps both factors played a role.
“I told my agent I’m looking for a great situation for me to go in and impact. But I want to win as well,” Slay said.
On paper, Buffalo would’ve given him the best chance to win. Again, money could’ve played a factor in Slay choosing Pittsburgh instead. It’s a refreshing contrast to a running theme this free agency as QBs Justin Fields and Sam Darnold along with others like FB Kyle Juszczyk chose other teams over Pittsburgh.
Slay will slide in as the Steelers’ No. 2 cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr., mentoring a young cornerback room that includes Cory Trice Jr., Beanie Bishop Jr., and Porter. While long in the tooth, Slay still flashed his ability to cover and impact the run game a year ago. Pittsburgh is banking on him putting on a repeat performance.
Like Patrick Peterson and several other current and former Steelers, Slay will keep fans updated with his weekly podcast.
