A report from NFL Insider Jordan Schultz surfaced that Darius Slay will officially sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers once free agency opens on Wednesday. Pending free agents were legally allowed to speak with clubs around the NFL starting on March 10th after noon ET. Most teams got to work and agreed to new contracts during this early portion of free agency.
Those who cover the Steelers had Slay circled as a clear choice for Pittsburgh to target. He has a couple of connections that lured him to join the club. Slay also played with Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin during their time with the Detroit Lions, and he knows their assistant general manager, Andy Weidl, during their time with the Philadelphia Eagles.
There were better options in free agency, but Slay provides a bounty of experience—something Mike Tomlin covets.
Darius Slay free agency addition creates an upgrade at cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers
As Slay enters the fold on defense, don't expect him to replace Joey Porter Jr. He will be brought in to be a short-term fix in a revolving cornerback group. Porter appeared to do better with a veteran like Patrick Peterson in the secondary to provide pointers. Slay is 34, so his best days on the field are behind him. Still, he could infuse some tutelage to Porter and the Steeler's young cornerbacks.
Although their recent splash signing might be 34, he is coming off one of his better seasons in recent years. He should fit into Pittsburgh's defense well and is someone who shouldn't have any qualms about being second fiddle to Porter. Slay's age could be a concern moving forward, but there could be help on the way. It's a long offseason, and other free agents and rookies could join the team.
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The 2025 NFL Draft has talent at the cornerback position, and Slay could act as a mentor to a rookie CB drafted this year. Don't rule out Cory Trice giving Slay a run for his money if Slay cannot translate his success with the Eagles across the state to Pittsburgh.
It's a good signing by the Steelers, but it's a young man's game in the NFL, and this could be a massive gamble.
There are similarities between this signing and the addition of Patrick Peterson a couple of years ago. Hopefully, Slay will produce a better tenure with the Steelers than Peterson did. Slay should have a better chance to produce winning ways in a culture that is trying to emulate what Philadelphia has been doing. It's a good fit, and it doesn't seem too risky.