With the new NFL league year looming, the Eagles are releasing six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the news.
The move will be made with a post-June 1 designation, saving Philadelphia $4.3 million against the 2025 salary. Until then, the Eagles will carry a $13.78M cap hit until June 1 and then take dead-money hits of $9.456M in 2025 and $13.294M in 2026.
Because Slay was nearly out the door for Baltimore in 2023, there is always a chance of history repeating itself and the Eagles can make a last-minute deal with the veteran to return at a lesser number.
Slay, 34, has spent the past five seasons with Philadelphia after being acquired via trade from Detroit in March of 2020. One of the best coverage CBs of his generation, Slay made three of his Pro Bowls with the Eagles, made two Super Bowls as the team’s CB1 and is now a champion after Philadelphia topped Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX last month.
Slay has indicated he would like to play a 13th season and wanted that to be with the Eagles or Detroit.
A three-time team captain, Slay has been an integral part of the Eagles’ locker room and his mentorship to star rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean stood out last season.
Philadelphia also has young prospects Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks on the outside and could re-sign pending free agent Isaiah Rodgers who performed effectively when called into action last season.
While DeJean excelled in the slot during his rookie campaign, the Eagles’ personnel department scouted and projected the former Iowa star as an outside CB primarily. In theory, DeJean could start on the outside when the Eagles employ only two corners and move inside to the slot when Vic Fangio has nickel personnel in the game with either Ringo or a re-signed Rodgers rotating in on the outside.
Originally a second-round pick of Detroit (No. 36 overall) coming out of Mississippi State in 2013, Slay has amassed 29 career interceptions with 10 of them coming with the Eagles.
Despite his advancing age, Slay continued to perform at a high level last season grading out at No. 23 of the 116 CBs who played enough to be ranked by Pro Football Focus.
Slay had no guaranteed money left on his deal so something was always going to have to be done with the contract.
Whether the chapter is closed on Slay’s career in Philadelphia or not, the veteran CB was a home run for the Eagles over the past five seasons both on and off the field. Leaving off a world championship would be a nice bow on that sentiment.
