Darius Slay should be a future Hall of Fame cornerback. Slay is currently in his 12th season in the league, playing his first seven with the Detroit Lions and last five, including this one, with the Philadelphia Eagles. With the Eagles taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, Slay has his eyes set on Sunday. However, Slay made an announcement on his future in the league.
Darius Slay Gives Update On His Future In The NFL
Darius Slay announced that next season will most likely be his last and that he would love for it to be with the Eagles. Slay is entering the last year of his contract and it remains to be seen how the Eagles might handle the situation. Although he remained a starting corner all season, Slay did not intercept a pass for the first time since his rookie season. Slay has remained an iron man throughout his career, appearing in at least 12 games in every season. He is one of the best cornerbacks to play the game and should be in the Hall of Fame.
Detroit Lions Career
During the years that Slay was with the Lions, the team struggled. Detroit did appear in the playoffs in 2014, Slay’s second year, and 2016 which was his fourth year. However, in both years the Lions lost in the Wild Card round. Individually, Slay was named First-team All-Pro in 2017. He was tied for the most interceptions in the league that year with eight. Slay was also a three time Pro Bowler in three straight seasons from 2017-2019. During the 2020 offseason, the Detroit Lions decided to trade Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles Career
Although Slay’s individual numbers are slightly down in his time in Philadelphia compared to Detroit, he has led some elite defenses. Once again, Slay was named a three time Pro Bowler for three straight seasons. Slay was selected in 2021, 2022 and 2023, increasing his career total to six Pro Bowl appearances. In Slay’s second year in 2021, the Eagles defense took a step and became a top ten unit. They allowed the tenth least yards per game on the season. However, in the 2022 season, this defense became dominant.
The Philadelphia Eagles had the number one ranked pass defense in the 2022 regular season. The team appeared in Super Bowl 57 this season as well, but ultimately lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Nevertheless, the Eagles defense only gave up 179.8 yards per game through the air. Philadelphia was also second in total yards allowed per game with 301.5 as they only trailed the San Francisco 49ers by one yard. It is extremely hard to see a way this defense would be this dominant without Darius Slay. Especially on pass defense, the Pro Bowler is a consistent leader in the secondary.
What Lies Ahead for Slay
Slay has made his intentions to play his last season in Philadelphia clear. Now, we will wait and see if the Eagles feel the same way. Both parties are focused on winning the Lombardi Trophy Sunday. However, Darius Slay’s impending future is certainly at the top of the team’s checklist when the offseason begins.
Main Photo Courtesy of Bill Streicher – Imagn Images
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