Darius Slay made sure to clear up a few things on Friday after he decided not to report to the Buffalo Bills despite being claimed off waivers following his release by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The cornerback appeared “The Speakeasy” hosted by Emmanuel Acho, and discussed this controversial decision.
“When I got home the other day, I was like ‘shoot, boy, this feels too good to be at the crib,’” Slay simply told Acho.
“I don’t feel like packing up and moving again,” he continued. “I’m 13 years in, like, I done did it. Like, they would have caught me at like 28, 29, I might have been like ‘OK.’ That’s a top organization. They have a lot of great things going. They win, they go to the playoffs, they got a franchise quarterback. So, it wasn’t a bad fit, it just caught me at a bad time.”
There was some speculation that Slay’s reason for not reporting to Buffalo was that he wanted to be picked up by his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles. But he made sure to shut that down.
“I talked to them, it was like a little mutual talk, but I said ‘hey, I’m 34 man. I know y’all be watching tape but I’m trying to relax with my family and kids,’” Slay stated. “I ain’t feel like packing up and moving. Then, on top of that, no offense to Buffalo (but) it’s cold as hell. I’m from the south, baby. We don’t know what snow looks like.
Bills Place Darius Slay On Reserve/Did Not Report List
GettyHead coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills
Slay stayed true to his word, not reporting to Buffalo after he was claimed, and in return, the Bills placed him on the Reserve/Did Not Report list, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. And to fill the open roster spot, they claimed safety Darnell Savage, who was released by the Washington Commanders.
On Friday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott was also asked about the situation involving Slay.
“Yeah, I mean it’s unfortunate that that unfolded and went down the way it did,” the Bills head coach said (per The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia). “I’m a huge Ja’Marcus Ingram fan and will always be, so I’m always going to be in his corner and want the best for him.”
Darius Slay Would Have Been a Good Addition For The Eagles This Season
GettyDarius Slay Jr. of the Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles ultimately cut Slay in March to save an estimated $4.3 million in salary cap space, which is why he went on to sign a one-year, $10 million deal with the Steelers. But, his time there did not go as planned, and he was a healthy scratch in his final game before being released shortly after.
With that, a reunion with the Eagles seemed all too easy, needing someone to play opposite second-year cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Slay was crucial for Philadelphia in its postseason run last season, finishing with 14 tackles, five pass deflections, and one interception in the Eagles’ quest for their Super Bowl victory.
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