Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay (L) spent five of his 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. File Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI | License Photo
Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay will retire from the NFL after 13 seasons, he announced Monday on social media.
Slay, 35, spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The second-round pick by the Detroit Lions in the NFL Draft also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Slay, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2017 while with the Lions. He was the NFL’s active leader in passes defensed (163) and yards gained from fumble recoveries (148). He totaled 28 interceptions and scored five defensive touchdowns over 187 career appearances.
The Lions traded Slay to the Eagles in 2020. He went on to win a Super Bowl with the Eagles during the 2024-25 campaign.
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A post shared by Darius Slay (@bigplayslay24)
“Dear football, I wanna thank you for all you’ve done for me,” Slay wrote on his social media platforms. “I’ve been blessed to play the game I loved since I was 5-years-old for an amazing 13 years at the highest level. Football was my peace, my joy, my everything. This game put me in a position to help take care of my family and loved ones and I’m forever grateful.
“It’s hard to say goodbye, but God has a new chapter for me and I’m ready to turn the page and start my new journey. To all my ‘BigPlay’ fans, I will always appreciate the love and support y’all have given to me. I couldn’t have done it without you. Just a kid from Brunswick, Ga., with BIG dreams … BigPlay on and off the field!”
Slay totaled 36 combined tackles, three passes defensed and a fumble recovery over 10 appearances last season for the Steelers. He was waived in December and later claimed by the Buffalo Bills, but never reported to the team.
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