Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Without a doubt, it’s been a tumultuous season for veteran Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Darius Slay. Through seven games, Slay has looked like a completely different player than last year when he was a part of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl champion team.
According to Pro Football Focus tracking, he has been targeted 32 times, resulting in 23 catches, 322 yards gained, and three touchdowns. He has also missed 21.2% of his tackles.
Slay admits that he has not lived up to expectations.
“I ain’t been playing the best. But I’ve been playing decent. But I gotta, on my end, for sure play better,” Slay said.
Despite being 34, Slay believes he can still play at a high level.
“I know I got a lot left. I’m making some plays, just gotta be way more consistent overall,” he said.
The 13th-year veteran has been a part of miscommunications, missed tackles, and eventually saw his snaps decrease Sunday in favor of Brandin Echols. He also raised eyebrows on Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver Savion Williams’ touchdown in the third quarter, as the veteran CB displayed awful effort.
Former Steelers running back Merril Hoge ripped Slay for dogging it.
“Listen, those type of plays, I just don’t know how you go on,” Hoge said of Slay’s effort on the 102.5 WDVE Morning Show. “Here’s what disturbs me. How do you go into your meeting room with your peers and watch it? I just, honestly, I don’t even know. I’ve never been there, and I’m glad for that because that’s not how you play football.”
Warning: Effort Police 🚨
There is absolutely no way that anyone can convince me that #23 is actually trying to make this tackle. pic.twitter.com/1E7f51KaaR
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) October 27, 2025
On Wednesday, ESPN reported that offseason acquisition Slay could be traded by Tuesday’s deadline.
If he has another poor performance, and most importantly lacks effort, parting ways with Slay could be on the table. That’s how bad it’s been so far.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Darius Slay Admits He Hasn’t Been Playing His Best: ‘Gotta Be Way More Consistent’
