The Pittsburgh Steelers solidified their cornerback position by signing former Philadelphia Eagles CB Darius Slay, and on his Big Play Slay podcast, the six-time Pro Bowler talked about what sold him the most on signing with the Steelers.
“I talked highly, real highly of Mike [Tomlin]. I talked about him a lot on my podcast, and it’s a great opportunity for me to get to work with him,” Slay said. “I’m looking forward to it. What sold me mostly is just the fact they got some great leaders over there, they got veteran players, amazing players as well on Pittsburgh.”
Slay also said Cameron Heyward is a “great friend” and was recruiting him as soon as he got released from the Eagles.
“It was Cam mostly man, Cam hit me, and I was like if they call, I’m ready for it. And they called, and talking to Mike T on the phone was amazing man,” said Slay, who also noted that Minkak Fitzpatrick reached out to him about signing with the Steelers. “You see the energy he brings, he’s a down-to-earth dude, when I first met him when I went down there to sign my deal, it was nice.”
Two years ago, the Steelers had interest in Slay but ended up signing Patrick Peterson before Slay was released by the Eagles, and he wound up staying in Philadelphia. With him officially hitting the market this offseason, Pittsburgh’s veterans made an effort to gt Slay to Pittsburgh.
Slay has repeatedly talked highly of Mike Tomlin, even during this past season, so it was an easy link between him and the Steelers once the news of his release got out. With Donte Jackson also becoming a free agent (he later signed with the Los Angeles Chargers), the Steelers had a clear need at cornerback, and they signed Slay on the first day of the new league year.
As a veteran corner, he can serve as a mentor to Joey Porter Jr., who is entering Year 3 but still struggled with penalties in his sophomore campaign. He also provides an additional leader to a defense that has a lot of leadership with Heyward, T.J. Watt and Fitzpatrick, and for a secondary that struggled with communication last year. Having a veteran who also previously worked with Teryl Austin when he was with the Detroit Lions should be beneficial.
Darius Slay seems to be excited about joining the Steelers, and it’s clear given the recruitment by the current players that they feel he’ll be a good fit in Pittsburgh. With the Steelers also signing CB Brandin Echols, they did a good job shoring up the cornerback position in free agency and it’s a unit that should be improved in 2025.
