Darius Slay Has No Hard Feelings After Eagles Cut, Leaves Door Open to Return

Slay left the door open to a return with Philly, or the Detroit Lions, who drafted him.

Cornerback Darius Slay Jr. of the Philadelphia Eagles answers questions during a media availability ahead of Super Bowl LIX at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel in New Orleans, La., on Feb. 6, 2025. Michael DeMocker/Getty Images

Cornerback Darius “Big Play” Slay has no hard feelings with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles designated Slay as a cut candidate this week. On his podcast Wednesday, Slay said that he understood the decision as just part of the business of the NFL. The veteran cornerback, who predicted last month that he would likely be cut by the Eagles, said he would be open to a return to either Philadelphia or the team that drafted him, the Detroit Lions.

“I was already kind of like prepping during the season,” Slay said on the “Big Play Slay“ podcast. He noted that during the season he was asked multiple times by press pool reporters whether each game at the end of the season would be his last.

It’s part of the business,“ Slay said. ”When your cap gets extremely high, and with us coming off a Super Bowl, a lot of guys [are] probably going [to] want to come here that play that corner position.”

Slay said that when teams win a Super Bowl, the key players get raises and coaches get promotions. Slay also noted that he was in a similar cap situation after the 2022 season. “I’m not sad about it, this is what I signed up for,” said Slay. “I knew I gave that team everything I had, the organization everything I had.”

The Eagles currently have the 23rd-most cap space in the NFL: just $17.5 million, according to Spotrac. Slay is the 5th-highest paid player on the roster; the Eagles could save $13.78 million by cutting him, though he would carry a dead cap hit of $22.75 million.

At 34 years old, Slay is the old man in Philly’s young secondary. The Eagles doubled down on the cornerback position in the 2024 draft; they selected Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell with the 22nd overall pick, then Iowa’s Cooper DeJean with the 40th pick. Isaiah Rodgers played well in spot duty last season, though he is set to become a free agent. The Eagles also have veteran nickel corner Avonte Maddox, 2023 draft pick Kelee Ringo, and 2023 undrafted free agent Eli Ricks on the roster.

Slay said that he and general manager Howie Roseman had a good talk, and that the Eagles need to lock in some of their young players for the long term. He spoke highly of Ringo and Rodgers as players ready to take the next step, and safety Reed Blankenship as a leader in the defensive back room.

Slay said the decision allows him to get ahead of free agency and find a team that needs him. However, he did not rule out the possibility of a return. “I’m 34, I know I’m way out of my prime, but [I’m] still playing at an elite level. And so possibly, [Roseman] might spin the block back just like he did last time. And look, he [spun] the block back, two years later, Super Bowl champs. So we'll see.”

In an appearance on the “St. Brown Podcast“ in February, Slay said he wanted to play one more season, be it the final year of his contract with the Eagles or elsewhere. He teased a return to the Detroit Lions, calling Detroit his ”second home.”

Slay was drafted by the Lions with the 36th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent seven years with the Lions. He had at least 2 interceptions every season with Detroit; he led the league in both interceptions (8) and passes defended (26) in 2017.

The Lions also have a young secondary in need of a veteran presence. Like Philly, Detroit doubled up on corners in the 2024 draft: first round pick Terrion Arnold and 5th round pick Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Veteran cornerbacks Kindle Vildor, Carlton Davis, and Khalil Dorsey are all set to become free agents.

Slay said Wednesday that he would also be open to going back to Detroit. “Man, that would be a blessing ... the two teams I want to play for [are] for sure the Philadelphia Eagles or the Detroit Lions.”