Darius Slay Open to Eagles Return on New Contract 'If Philly's Doing What I Want'

Darius Slay left open the possibility of returning to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason after his reported release on Monday.

"If the money's equal and everything is equal, it's Philly, for sure," he said when asked where he'd want to play next season during an appearance on FS1's The Facility. "It could be whatever, as long as the money's nice. If Philly's doing what I want them to do, we in Philly again."

By releasing Slay this offseason, the Eagles cleared $4.3 million against the salary cap in 2025. They also cut ties with veteran defensive back James Bradberry, saving another $2.1 million against the cap.

The Eagles have been busy, signing Saquon Barkley to a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension and re-signing Zack Baun to a three-year, $51 million deal. They still have a number of key players hitting free agency, including defensive tackle Milton Williams, defensive end Josh Sweat, guard Mekhi Bechton and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, alongside Slay.

At cornerback, the Eagles have a pair of first-year dynamos in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and the promising but untested Kelee Ringo, and not much else. Bringing back Slay would make sense for the Birds, allowing them to keep DeJean in the slot, but it would likely have to be at a discounted rate given the other players they would like to retain.

In other words, Slay can probably fetch more on the market after a strong 2024 season, even if he's past his prime. Whether the 34-year-old is willing to return to Philly for less than market value remains to be seen.