The Steelers signed cornerback Darius Slay to a one-year deal following his release by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Slay, who turned 34 Jan. 1, has been a key member of Philadelphia's secondary since 2020 after a successful run with the Detroit Lions.p
A six-time Pro Bowl player, Slay has 28 interceptions and 160 pass breakups in his 12-year NFL career.
Though he did not record an interception in 2024, he had 13 pass breakups.
Slay, a second-round draft pick of Detroit in 2013, is a willing tackler who will mix it up with opposing offensive players. He also excels at man coverage. In his career, he's allowed just 59.5 percent of passes thrown in his direction to be completed.
Last season, opponents completed 60.4 percent of the passes they attempted in Slay's coverage, showing his coverage abilities have not slipped.
Over the course of his career, Slay has been one of the few cornerbacks in the league who travels with the opponent's No. 1 receiving option.
With the Steelers, he'll offer a solid option on the opposite side of third-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and give Porter a veteran former No. 1 cornerback from which to continue to learn the tricks of the trade. And with Slay on board, Porter won't be forced to follow the opposing team's No. 1 receiving threat unless the Steelers choose to do so.
Slay has missed eight games over the past two seasons after previously being a very durable player over the course of his career. Despite missing those starts, Slay has played over 800 defensive snaps in every season since 2014.
When he's healthy, he seldom comes off the football field.
But with third-year cornerback Corey Trice also on the roster, the acquisition of Slay gives the Steelers three very viable outside cornerback options.
Trice, like Porter, also can learn plenty from Slay, perhaps benefitting the Steelers for years to come.
