In case you were unaware of the identity of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay before to the snowy NFC Divisional Round matchup with the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday … You may mistakenly believe that he was a far younger man.
As the 12-year veteran and six-time Pro Bowler picked up six tackles and three pass deflections in a 28-22 victory, Slay certainly didn’t seem like a 34-year-old, who is almost a senior citizen in NFL years. That day, he appeared to be the best cornerback on the field, and on January 26, when the Eagles meet the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game, he will probably be once more.
Despite that kind of output, Bleacher Report believes Slay might be targeted in the offseason due to his $16 million contract debt in 2025, which makes him a likely target for a salary cap casualty.
From Bleacher Report: “With Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia now has a youthful core. Both have had successful rookie campaigns and will give the Eagles a reasonably priced secondary in the upcoming seasons. After June 1st, the Eagles might cut (Slay) and clear $4.3 million. Although they would be losing a gifted player and it’s not a lot of money, it’s one of their few options.
Kill it! Since the 2010s, one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks
Slay was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round (No. 36 overall) of the 2013 NFL draft after being named All-SEC at Mississippi State in 2012. He started as a full-time starter in his second season and was selected to his first Pro Bowl and his only NFL All-Pro selection in 2017 after leading the league in interceptions with eight.
In March 2020, Slay signed a three-year, $50 million contract deal with the Lions after being traded from the Eagles. In March 2023, he signed a two-year, $42 million contract deal with the Eagles.
Slay’s physique has been remarkably resilient despite all the strain he has endured. He has 177 career regular-season games and 167 starts, and he has never played fewer than 12 games in a season. In addition to having 28 career interceptions and five career defensive touchdowns, Slay leads all current NFL players in pass deflections with 160.
With $110.1 million in career earnings through the 2024 season, Slay may also decide to retire if the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
The Eagles have two of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL.
As rookies, Mitchell and DeJean, who were selected in the first and second rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, respectively, established themselves as two of the league’s best cornerbacks. It’s difficult to imagine DeJean’s growth lasting much longer, even if the current defensive configuration permits Slay and DeJean to play simultaneously, with DeJean occupying the nickel corner position.
Jeff Diamond of the 33rd Team listed DeJean as one of the 2024 NFL draft’s “Biggest Steals.”
According to Diamond’s November 27 post, “DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, a first-round cornerback, are major contributors to the massive improvement in Philadelphia’s pass defense that is ranked third after falling to 31st last season when they were a major cause of the team’s late-season collapse.”
