There were (and still are) a lot of holes to fill on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 roster, but cornerback was one of the underrated needs that was getting overshadowed by defensive line, quarterback and wide receiver. Instead of signing a young and very expensive option, the Steelers opted to bring in veteran CB Darius Slay on a one-year deal to likely wrap up his impressive career.
At 34 years old, it’s fair to wonder how well he can still play, but NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger doesn’t think that’s a concern.
“Slay can still play,” Baldinger said in a clip from NFL Network’s Free Agency Frenzy. “I just remember when Slay was in Detroit, he came to Latrobe one summer when AB [Antonio Brown] was at the prime of all receivers in this business. And everywhere AB went, Slay went after him. All he wanted to do was compete against the best. And honestly, that’s Slay. That’s how he became a great player.”
It isn’t easy at the cornerback position to become one of the household names in the NFL, but “Big Play Slay” was one of the very best at the position in 2017 when he had 26 passes defensed and eight interceptions to lead the league in both categories.
Those joint practices in Latrobe that Baldinger was talking about happened in 2016. Teryl Austin was his defensive coordinator, and Brown was his biggest adversary. Now both have brought their talents to Pittsburgh.
The 2024 season was Slay’s first time missing the Pro Bowl in three seasons, but he was still a very solid contributor on one of the best defenses in the league as the Philadelphia Eagles went all the way to the Super Bowl and won. He played 14 games during the regular season and logged 13 passes defensed, a forced fumble, and three tackles for loss. It was his first season without an interception since his rookie year.
Is he going to be the big-play contributor that he was in his prime? Probably not, but Baldinger thinks he can be an upgrade for the Steelers’ secondary.
“When he puts that Black and Gold on in Pittsburgh, he’s gonna feel like a Steeler. He’s gonna play like a Steeler,” Baldinger said. “I think it’s gonna be a good year for him. He’s gonna get pass rush, he’s gonna get some opportunities to get some really sticky man coverage, which he still loves. I think it’s an upgrade over what Donte Jackson was a year ago.”
To be fair to Jackson, he was on pace to have an excellent season early in the year. His tackling was solid, and he was making a lot of plays. But injuries caught up with him, as they have throughout his career. Slay has missed nine games over the last four seasons. That seems like a lot until you consider Jackson missed 16 over that same span.
The Steelers seem to have high hopes for third-year CB Cory Trice Jr. but couldn’t quite trust him in a starting role with only six games played in his career. This gives him an opportunity to continue developing behind someone he can learn from. I also wouldn’t rule out the Steelers addressing the cornerback position in the draft, although they signed Brandin Echols to a two-year deal for additional depth.
