Report: Darius Slay, Steelers Agree to Contract After Eagles' Super Bowl Win

Timothy RappMar 10, 2025

Darius Slay is reportedly moving on to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the veteran cornerback agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Steelers after the Philadelphia Eagles released him earlier in the offseason. Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz reported on Monday that the two sides had agreed to a deal.

It was unclear if the Birds would retain Slay after cutting him on March 3 in a cost-cutting moved that saved them $4.3 million against the salary cap. The Eagles also released veteran cornerback James Bradberry, a move that netted them $2.1 million in cap space.

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The move made sense on two fronts. One, the Eagles came into the offseason with a number of big-name free agents, including linebacker Zack Baun, defensive linemen Josh Sweat and Milton Williams and guard Mekhi Becton, and limited cap space to retain any of them. Finding ways to cut costs was always going to be a priority.

But secondly, the Eagles saw first-year cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean absolutely thrive in the 2024 campaign, setting them up nicely for the future. Bradberry was a non-factor for the team last season and struggled mightily in 2022, so his release was a no-brainer, but Slay remained a productive starter last season. But with Mitchell and DeJean, Slay was expendable.

Having him back would have allowed DeJean to remain in the slot and would have kept intact a fantastic secondary that helped fuel the Eagles' run to a championship.

And Slay—who has earned three Pro Bowl bids and registered nine interceptions during his five years with the Eagles—would have been able to retire in Philly after the 2025 season.

Instead, the Eagles will add cornerback depth to their list of needs this offseason, while Pittsburgh will get a six-time Pro Bowler who still played at a high level in the 2024 season.

The 2025 campaign will probably be Slay's final year in the NFL, but he should help improve the Steelers secondary during his farewell season.