It was a puzzling move when the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they had signed veteran cornerback Darius Slay in the offseason. While a cornerback was an expected free agent target, signing someone as old as Slay felt like a bigger risk than reward.
Halfway through the season, this deal looks like a massive flop.
Slay has been an average-at-best player so far this year. He hasn’t had many highs, and his lows have been notable. Add in his constant nagging injuries, and it’s been a letdown of a season for the veteran.
Unfortunately, this issue could be seen a mile away. It also sheds some light on a questionable choice as a whole for the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers overcomplicated a simple choice in the Darius Slay disaster
The Steelers wanted to get a clear upgrade at their second cornerback spot during this offseason. Luckily for them, there was a plethora of young and talented cornerbacks in this free agent class.
Pittsburgh opted not to pursue any of them. It was shocking and frustrating, and it seemed as though the Steelers had a clear goal in mind when looking to add an upgrade on their defense.
Simply put, there are two explanations for this catastrophe: either they didn’t want to spend on an upgrade, or they were too focused on the comp pick formula.
READ MORE: It only took one week for the Steelers to have officially fleeced the Patriots
The former argument seems less likely. We’ve seen the Steelers spend up on free agents they like. I don’t believe they picked Slay purely because he was cheaper than other names.
If that was the case, they should have gone even cheaper. Donte Jackson could have returned for a lower price tag, or they could have targeted an up-and-comer like Isaiah Rodgers. Heck, they could have had a cheap veteran with experience for a fraction of the cost.
Given the contract they handed out to Patrick Queen a year before, it feels like this was a comp pick formula problem. Slay had been released from the Eagles, so he no longer qualified to be part of the formula in 2026, making him their top option.
Don’t get me wrong — I’m all for the Steelers taking advantage of the comp pick system when it makes sense. But in the case of Slay, it didn’t. Pittsburgh needed a long-term running mate next to Joey Porter Jr. Instead, they got a mediocre one-year rental.
Expecting a 34-year-old cornerback to maintain his play in a new system was silly. Now, it’s costing the team, as Slay is essentially forced to be on the field.
When you’re focused on adding a core starter at a position of need, you should be looking at the player and cost first. If you can make it work with the comp pick formula, great. If not, go after the best fit for the team.
Instead, Pittsburgh settled — and now, cornerback remains an issue in 2025. Worse yet, the position figures to be one of the biggest needs in 2026.