The goal of every NFL front office is simple: win football games. Everything else—ticket sales, jersey purchases, community excitement—flows from that. And in the process of building a winner, general managers hope to give their fanbase something to believe in. For Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan, that belief came in the form of bold, outside-the-box roster decisions this past offseason.
Some of those choices offered hope. Others offered questions. But one move stood out more than the rest: the surprising acquisition of veteran cornerback Darius Slay.
On paper, it looked like a dream. Slay’s résumé is packed with ball-hawking production, elite coverage stretches, and a reputation for locking down primary receivers. For years, he was one of the most respected corners in the league—first in Detroit, then with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he helped a championship-caliber defense reach the Super Bowl.
So when the Steelers landed him, it felt like a potential steal.
But deep down, there was hesitation. A veteran leaving a championship organization late in his career often signals one thing: the decline is already underway. And unfortunately for both Slay and Pittsburgh, that hesitation turned out to be well-founded.
Missed tackles, blown assignments, and nagging injuries defined Slay’s short tenure in black and gold. It wasn’t that he lacked effort—he’s always been a competitor—but his athleticism, reaction time, and sharpness simply weren’t the same. His mistakes became increasingly visible, and worse yet, increasingly costly.
Opposing offenses circled him in their weekly game plans, targeting him with alarming success as the season progressed.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made the right decision by parting ways with CB Darius Slay
Through ten games, Slay recorded 36 tackles and just three pass deflections. Numbers that, while serviceable on the surface, didn’t match the expectations that come with his name—or the salary tied to it. And they certainly didn’t reflect the impact the Steelers hoped he’d make when they added the former All-Pro to their secondary.
So when Khan made the decision to waive Slay, it felt like the right move. Tough, yes. But necessary.
There haven’t been many reasons for Pittsburgh fans to smile this season, but this news brought a surprising sense of relief. For weeks, supporters questioned what the front office was thinking and how long the coaching staff would continue forcing a struggling veteran into the lineup. Slay’s release wasn’t just a roster adjustment—it was a signal that Pittsburgh is willing to pivot, even when the pivot means admitting a mistake.
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And honestly, I can’t fault them for trying. It was a nice fantasy to imagine Pittsburgh getting the Pro Bowl version of Slay—the one who reigned supreme in Detroit during the early 2010s and held his own in Detroit. That player was special. That player inspired confidence.
But that player no longer exists.
This release wasn’t personal. It wasn’t emotional. It was business. And more importantly, it was the product of a cornerback aging out of his prime and a front office refusing to let nostalgia dictate decisions. Now that Slay has landed with the Bills, maybe he can at least be part of a contending team again, even as a bench player.
For the Steelers, it’s a rare win in a season with too few of them. And it shows they’re willing to move forward, even when the right move is also the hardest one. Their decision to elevate Asante Samuel Jr. to the 53-man roster should pan out better than their failed experiement.