Darius Slay returns — so does George Kittle’s favorite giant middle finger — and more from Eagles tailgate lots

When it comes to tailgating, Philly is among the best to do it. Whether it’s grilling camel or belly dancing in the snow, Eagles fans know how to step it up for the playoffs — and this year’s pregame tailgate for the Birds’ wild-card matchup with the San Francisco 49ers didn’t disappoint.

Here’s what you missed from the tailgating lots …

Darius Slay may no longer be part of the Eagles — but that’s not stopping him and his wife Jennifer Slay from supporting his former team, appearing on the sideline before the game and even in the parking lots.

The former Birds cornerback posed for photos with fans at the 4th and Jawn tailgate ahead of Sunday’s game. Standing beside his wife, Slay looked at the crowd of Birds fans and smiled as they yelled out “Big Play Slay” and erupted in Eagles chants.

Although Slay was released last offseason before signing with the Steelers, he still means a lot to Eagles fans after spending five seasons in Philly, capped off by a Super Bowl victory in February.

“Darius Slay means everything,” said 30-year-old Chris Mallee. “He’s kind of a blue-collar guy like all the people coming to the games. He’s someone that keeps his head down and works really hard, family oriented, he’s a really solid guy.

“We definitely miss him here but we’re glad he’s doing well.”

Slay was released by the Steelers last month, and subsequently claimed by the Buffalo Bills. However, he informed the Bills he was considering retirement and did not report to the team.

At the same time Slay was hanging with Birds fans Sunday, the Bills were in Jacksonville for their own playoff game. They came back in the final minutes to beat the Jaguars, 27-24, and advance to the divisional round.

Most players who have played in Philly have had at least one memorable interaction with Eagles fans. And George Kittle is no different. The veteran tight end was one of several 49ers players to discuss his relationship with the fan base, and even shared his favorite story, which had to do with a giant middle finger he saw his rookie year.

“There were like four 10-year-old kids holding a seven-foot-tall papier-mâché middle finger that had a rotating thing on it that made the middle finger come up,” Kittle told reporters. “That was the coolest thing, I’ll never forget it. That was my rookie year and I was like, this is excellent.”

That middle finger was back on Sunday.

John Hirschbuhl and Doug Steinbrecher have been building the Philly Football Finger for 25 years. The finger gets displayed for every home game and they bring it with them on the road twice a year.

“George Kittle happened to see it, enjoyed it, sent a police officer over to tell us how he appreciated coming to Philadelphia and how the fans are a little bit nuts here,” said. “We all love football. That’s what it comes down to.”

Kittle was carted off Sunday after suffering what was later reported to be an Achilles injury.

Walking through C Lot, you’ll likely find fans playing cornhole, grilling, and throwing a football around as they prepare for the day’s game. You may also see a grown man wearing a beak on his head as he drags a 49ers helmet through the parking lot with a leash.

That’s 64-year-old David Schofield, also known as “Beak.” He has been “walking the dog” for 21 years.

“The rescues, we just like to bring them out here in the sun and get them some exercise,” Schofield said of his “helmet dog.”

Schofield has made this into a pregame ritual, and owns a helmet for each NFL team.

“It started with a road trip in Buffalo when we took a helmet home to smash,” he said. “But, it was a good helmet so it didn’t smash too easily. So, I ended up putting it on a dog leash. Hence the birth of the helmet dog.”