Darius Slay and the Pittsburgh Steelers mutually agreed to part ways on Wednesday—at least that's what was reported. Slay wasn't on board with being a healthy scratch on game day, and Teryl Austin later admitted that sometimes it 'doesn't work out,' and that it wasn't the right fit schematically.
Following his sudden release from Pittsburgh, the 34-year-old cornerback was quickly claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Bills. The Philadelphia Eagles (Slay's former team) also put in a waiver claim for the cornerback to return to Philly.
On Thursday, however, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that Slay is now unsure of his future and is considering retirement. The veteran cornerback will not report to Buffalo.
By spurning the Bills, Slay quietly revealed his masterplan.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback clearly wanted to land with the Philadelphia Eagles
Multiple reports suggested that there was mutual interest in a reunion between Darius Slay and the Philadelphia Eagles. Slay was a starting cornerback for a Super Bowl champion Eagles team last year, and earned three Pro Bowls during his five-year tenure with the Eagles.
While the Eagles have two excellent young cornerbacks in Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, starting left cornerback Adoree' Jackson has struggled as much as any CB in the league this year. Slay was hopeful to return to his previous team (where he had so much success) and be thrust into the starting lineup of a defense he already knows well.
Slay's agent is the well-known Drew Rosenhaus, and some have suggested that forcing his way off the Steelers and re-joining the Eagles was his plan all along. While we can't say for sure that this was the case, Slay's decision to spurn the Buffalo Bills after the Eagles had a lower waiver claim checks out.
Now it looks like Slay is threatening to retire unless he gets his way. The problem for him is that, because Buffalo claimed the cornerback off waivers, they hold the rights to Slay—even if he were to try to retire and sign with the Eagles.
Regardless of whether Darius Slay suits up in the NFL again, neither the Eagles nor the Bills should have been expecting much. Slay is two years older than the next oldest CB to take a snap in the NFL this season, and his sample of play in Pittsburgh was poor. He simply doesn't have the gas left in the tank to stick with younger receivers routinely.
The Eagles and Bills were grasping at straws in a desperate move to improve their secondary before the playoffs. Now it looks like neither team will end up with the ex-Steelers cornerback.