Darius Slay won’t report to the Bills as he contemplates retirement. Is he an option for the Eagles?
Slay was waived by the Steelers earlier this week, but has no desire to play for the Bills and might decide to end his career.
Darius Slay is apparently considering retiring from the NFL after he decided to not report to the Buffalo Bills, the claiming team he was awarded to after the Pittsburgh Steelers placed him on waivers.
Slay, who will turn 35 next month, told Emmanuel Acho on the Speakeasy podcast Thursday night that he is “50-50″ on whether he will continue playing or not.
But Philadelphia is Slay’s “second home,” he said, and the Eagles, according to NFL sources, also put a claim in for Slay, who was awarded to the Bills because they had higher priority in the NFL’s waiver order.
Acho asked Slay if he would have reported to the Eagles, had the team he spent five seasons and won a Super Bowl with in February been awarded his rights.
“I honestly don’t know, man,” Slay said before mentioning how he has enjoyed being home with his family in the days since his release from the Steelers, who made him a healthy scratch last week vs. the Bills.
“It just felt good to be there,” he said. “It would have been a hard time to think about it. But Philly is my second home. I don’t know how that would have hit, if that would have hit. But when I got home the other day, I’m like, ‘shoot this feel too good to be at the crib.’”
Slay also cited the inconvenience of moving to Buffalo and the city’s cold weather as reasons for not initially wanting to report to the AFC contender.
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There is obvious mutual interest between the Eagles and Slay, should the cornerback decide he wants to continue playing. The Eagles haven’t shored up their second cornerback spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell after letting Slay walk in free agency. Slay looked more his age with the Steelers, who he signed with for one year and $10 million, but his familiarity with Vic Fangio’s scheme and the Eagles’ obvious concerns with their cornerback depth make it a fit.
Could Slay still end up with the Eagles?
It’s possible, but there are some mechanics involved that seem to make a reunion unlikely. The Bills currently have his rights, and Slay remained on Buffalo’s 53-man active roster as of Thursday. The Bills could put him on their reserve/retired list, which doesn’t count against the 53-man roster. It would be similar to how the Eagles handled cornerback Jaire Alexander after he decided to step away from football following his trade to the Eagles in November.
The Bills could also release Slay if he wants to continue playing, though there’s recent enough precedent under their current regime to suggest that they wouldn’t. Former NFL receiver Anquan Boldin decided to retire before the 2017 season began after signing with the Bills. He later asked the Bills to release him so he could play with another team, but Bills general manager Brandon Beane, then in his first season with Buffalo, declined that request.
It’s unclear if Slay would have to go back through waivers if the Bills released him.
It would seem unlikely, however, that Beane would release Slay to appease his desire to play for a potential Super Bowl opponent. The Eagles and Bills also play in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Dec. 28.
Inquirer staff writer Jeff McLane contributed reporting to this story.