Darius Slay on picking Pittsburgh and his relationship with Jalen Hurts and Brandon Graham
Former Eagles cornerback Darius Slay addresses not naming Jalen Hurts on his list of elite quarterbacks
The Eagles released 34-year-old cornerback Darius Slay, and with the 12-year veteran heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s bringing the Big Play Slay podcast with him.
On the most recent episode, Slay discusses choosing to stay in the state of Pennsylvania and sign with the Steelers, not naming Jalen Hurts on his list of elite quarterbacks, and his relationship with the now-retired Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham.
Here’s everything you missed…
‘Nothing but love for Hurts’
After news of Slay’s release, he caught a little bit of heat from Eagles fans after an appearance he made on the Pick A Side podcast. The cornerback named four players he considered the elite quarterbacks in the league. A name not included on the list was Eagles quarterback, and Super Bowl MVP, Jalen Hurts.
Instead, Slay listed off Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes. Slay addressed his comments on Big Play Slay.
“Hey, fans, look, I got nothing but love for Hurts,” Slay said. “I know I probably could have said it a little bit different for folks. But me and Hurts talked, that is my brother always. Like I said, I’ve been always giving him praise each and every day. Even told him in person when he was a rookie — I told him this was going to be his team, man. And this is his team.
“Shout out to that boy man, I love that man. I don’t have no hard feelings about none of that. We talk, we text. We got a great understanding. He knows where I’m coming from, he knows I love him. He knows that.”
‘Set the tone for that organization’
Slay isn’t the only veteran leader leaving the Eagles locker room. On Tuesday, 36-year-old defensive end Graham announced his retirement after spending his entire 15-year career in Philadelphia.
After spending five seasons playing alongside Graham and making two Super Bowl appearances together, Slay reflected on their time as teammates.
“Y’all just had one of the best Eagles retire,” Slay said. “I know it was hurtful with me [leaving] but 15-year BG. Brandon Graham. It’s a blessing to play with that man…It was a great pleasure because he’s an awesome teammate, man. He’s an awesome person, man. I know he gets excited a lot and he gets to going and going but he was the perfect match for the Philadelphia coaching. He set the tone for that organization for 15 years.”
Signing with Pittsburgh
On his latest taping of the Big Play Slay podcast, Slay was already dressed in his new team’s colors — wearing a black and yellow Nipsey Hussle shirt to film. After spending five seasons in Philadelphia, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl nods, he’s ready for his next chapter in Pittsburgh.
When Slay first became a free agent, the cornerback said plenty of teams were interested in signing him, including: the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, and of course, the Steelers.
“It sold me because of the fact that they have some great leaders over there,” Slay said. “They got veteran players, amazing players in Pittsburgh. I got a lot of good friends over there too. Not too many around the league as I usually do but I got a great one in Cam Heyward.
“It was Cam mostly, man. Cam hit me and I was like, if they call, I’m ready for it. And they called and talking to Mike [Tomlin] on the phone was amazing. Just to hear him and finally encounter him, as in just one-on-one, besides football games and such. You can see the energy he brings.”