Nearly released, Darius Slay is expected to stay with the Eagles once his contract is restructured

Circumstances changed, and the Pro Bowl cornerback Slay is expected to remain with the Eagles after both sides came to an agreement, NFL sources said late Wednesday.

Cornerback Darius Slay smiles after the Eagles beat the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, December 11, 2022.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

by Jeff McLane

Published Mar. 15, 2023, 11:40 p.m. ET

In another comeback for the Eagles’ offseason annals, the nearly-released Darius Slay is expected to remain with the team after both sides came to an agreement, NFL sources said late Wednesday.

“Back like I never left!!! Run it back,” Slay wrote on Twitter.

Earlier in the day, Slay was destined to be cut once the new league opened at 4 p.m. He wanted a contract extension, and the Eagles allowed the Pro Bowl cornerback permission to shop for a trade since last week. But unable to find a partner, and unwilling to add new money to his deal, the team was set to release him, sources said.

But the 4 o’clock hour came and went without an official announcement and both sides, not ready to part, were brought back to the negotiating table, one source close to the situation said. Slay will likely have to agree to a reworked deal that not only lowers his cap number for 2023 ($26.1 million), but may force him to take a pay cut, the source said.

The Eagles already re-signed Slay’s counterpart at cornerback, James Bradberry, to a three-year contract worth $38 million with $20 million guaranteed on Wednesday. They directed their attention to the 29-year-old Pro Bowler once it became apparent that they couldn’t meet Slay’s requests.

But general manager Howie Roseman appears to have found a way to keep both his starting outside cornerbacks and perhaps open up enough salary cap space to also retain safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. A contract extension for tackle Lane Johnson may also help create more room.

The Eagles have lost defensive starters at tackle (Javon Hargrave), linebacker (T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White), and safety (Marcus Epps) through free agency, but they’ve been able to keep tackle Fletcher Cox, end Brandon Graham, and Bradberry so far.

The 32-year-old Slay would have been an unexpected loss since he remained under contract and performed well last season. He struggled at times in the second half of the year and notably in the Super Bowl. But he wasn’t the only Eagles player to perform poorly in the loss to the Chiefs in Arizona, and has been a vital part of the team’s success as a player and captain.

A year ago, Cox was released to clear cap space only to be brought back a day later with a new contract. Slay never got out of the door with the Eagles, but he was seemingly close and is now expected to return for a fourth season in Philadelphia.