Bills Add Six-Time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion to Cornerback Room
The Buffalo Bills made a notable move on Wednesday afternoon, acquiring a veteran defensive player. Adam Schefter reported just before 5 p.m. EST that the Bills would be signing Darius Slay off waivers. Slay signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, playing in 10 games before being waived on Tuesday. The Bills are the fourth team that Slay will play for in his career. However, this is the third team in two seasons that he has become a member of.
Made an Exceptional Career with the Lions Before Winning the Super Bowl
The man known as “Big Play Slay” has maintained a long and fruitful career in the NFL. Coming out of Mississippi State, he was taken with the 36th-overall pick in 2013, the highest that the team had drafted a cornerback since 1998 when Detroit picked Terry Fair with the 20th selection. He quietly made a name for himself, becoming the starting cornerback in his second season and consistently playing at a top 10 level before finally getting his first Pro Bowl nod in 2017, the season which he led the league in interceptions and passes defended. He was a perennial Pro Bowler from that season on, playing in Detroit through his late 20s. After the Lions put together two very bad seasons to end the 2010s, compiled by Slay losing respect for head coach Matt Patricia, the Lions sent him to the Eagles, who, in turn, agreed to sign him to a three-year, $42 million contract. The six-foot, 192-pound defensive back excelled for his new team, solidifying himself as a lockdown corner before hoisting his first Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LIX.
Slay Seeks New Chapter in Mid-30s
Though Slay still started 14 games in 2024, the Eagles were looking to move on with fresher and younger players on defense. Practically hitting the jackpot with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean as their first two picks, the team decided to roll with the youngsters at cornerback this season and parted ways with Slay as well as James Bradberry. Going from one Pennsylvania city to the next has been a lot easier said than done. According to PFF, Slay has allowed a 126.7 passer rating this season, the highest of his career. Also, he’s setting career-highs in missed tackles and completion percentage allowed, which is far from ideal for a player who’s started most of the games for the Steelers. Now comes the challenge of even seeing playing time in Buffalo. The Bills are currently set at cornerback, trotting out Christian Benford, who just came away with two takeaways in Sunday’s win, Tre’Davious White, a Bills veteran who’s played a majority of snaps alongside Benford, and Maxwell Hairston, the team’s first-round pick this past April. If anything, Slay is an insurance policy in case any of their established cornerbacks go down with an injury.
