Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (2) against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Eagles released cornerback Darius Slay on Monday, freeing up $4.32 million in cap space with a post-June 1 designation. Despite turning 34 in January, Slay is coming off one of the best years of his career, and could be a potential fit for the Buffalo Bills.
Slay is a six-time Pro Bowler, and made first team All-Pro back in 2017. He played 81 percent of defensive snaps for the Eagles during the regular season, starting all 14 games he was healthy for. In the postseason, he played 90.84 percent of snaps during the triumphant Super Bowl run.
While it would be the logical assumption that the best days for a 34-year old corner are behind him, he proved otherwise in 2024. He gave up the second-lowest yards per target and yards per completion of his career. He also limited the opposition to a 54.7 completion percentage when targeted. Player Profiler graded him as the fourth best cornerback in coverage rating.
Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell (5) catches a pass as Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (2) defends in the second half in a 2025 NFC divisional round game / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Christian Benford has solidified himself as one of the best boundary corners in the NFL, but it’s far from a guarantee that Rasul Douglas returns in 2025 to line up on the opposite side of the field. Kaiir Elam’s play has been far from stellar, yet Buffalo has shown they prefer him on the outside rather than Ja’Marcus Ingram.
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Slay has expressed interest in playing one more season in the NFL. He’s already earned $110 million throughout his 12 year career, meaning he could be willing to take a cheaper deal from a competitive team. If Douglas does depart in free agency, Slay could be a great replacement to serve as a bridge CB, before Ingram or a rookie from the upcoming draft is ready to take the reigns in 2026.
Oct 14, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas (31) defends a pass to New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (0) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
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