The reason the NFL has a waiver wire isn’t necessarily built for veterans like 6-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay.
It’s more for the willy nilly, sometimes chaotic process that occurs when players who don’t have enough time accrued to become free agents and get released. There’s a lot of them out there.
While that’s the technical aspect of it, at its heart the waiver wire is in place to keep order and make things fair. It makes it so every player who gets released from a crappy team or a crappy situation can’t just go to the very best team they can find.
In Slay’s case, if he has his way, it would mean a return to the team he just left in the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles after he was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this week.
Whether or not Slay ultimately gets his way is still up in the air.
Slay’s Hopes Dashed With Waiver Wire Claim
Slay’s problem boils down to the fact he was claimed by the Buffalo Bills off the waiver wire.
Slay refused to report to Buffalo and is trying to muscle his way back to his old team by threatening to retire, which no one really believes will happen.
“Breaking: Veteran CB Darius Slay, whom the Buffalo Bills claimed on waivers Thursday, is unsure if he wants to continue playing and will not be reporting to Buffalo,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Thursday, December 4.
How the Bills proceed could be an interesting study in power dynamics. Not between the Bills and Slay but between the Bills and a high profile agent with a reputation for doing whatever it takes for his clients.
“The Bills retain Slay’s playing rights after he was placed on the reserve/retired list,” The Athletic’s Diana Russini wrote on Saturday, December 6. “As of now, his future remains uncertain … For now, I’m told that Slay will remain on the sidelines. With the Bills facing the Eagles in Week 17, it will be interesting to see what Buffalo decides to do. Slay is repped by superagent Drew Rosenhaus, so Buffalo may want to play nice.”
Slay Could Be Key For Another Super Bowl Run
Slay, 34 years old, was likely betting on no team picking him up on waivers, which would have allowed him to pick whatever team he wanted — which could have meant a reunion with the Eagles.
“Slay is honored that a first-class organization like the Bills claimed him, but he is going to take some time away from football right now and decide in the next few days if he wants to keep playing,” Slay’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter and ESPN.
The Eagles would almost certainly open Slay back with open arms as they have struggled at the outside cornerback spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell.
Slay was playing some of the best football of his career in the playoffs last season as the Eagles rolled to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs, but was released by the Eagles to clear $4.3 million in salary cap space and signed a 1-year, $10 million contract with the Steelers in March.
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