Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Darius Slay had an odd end to his NFL career. After signing a one-year, $10 million deal with the Steelers, he did not even last a full season with the team. They ended up releasing Slay, who was claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Bills.
Slay never ended up playing for the Bills, instead opting to retire. He thought the Eagles would claim him, but the Bills decided to add him before the Eagles, prompting Slay to call it quits.
However, on the Jim Rome Show, Slay described where he was mentally when the Steelers released him and why he did not report to Buffalo.
“I’ve got a lot of love and respect for that organization over there,” Slay said. “It’s just the fact that, where (I was) at in my career, I was more like, ‘Hey, if I wasn’t going to Philly, I wasn’t probably going nowhere else.’ I didn’t wanna pack up and move. … I’ve got a lot of respect for Josh Allen. I think he’s one of the best quarterbacks in this league, and I do believe they had a great shot at being a championship contender. It was just more about me. I didn’t feel like moving. I didn’t feel like packing up. I just really wanted either to go to Philly or go home.”
Slay was a second-round pick out of Mississippi State in the 2013 NFL Draft. He started his career with the Detroit Lions before jumping to Philadelphia. Slay inked a deal with the Steelers in 2025 after winning the Super Bowl with the Eagles.
Over those years, he was a First-Team All-Pro in 2017 and a six-time Pro Bowler. Slay racked up 28 interceptions, 655 tackles, and 163 pass deflections over those 13 seasons.