Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Millions of NFL fans will be watching when the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles kick off the 2025 NFL season on Thursday night, and you can include many members of NFL locker rooms in that number. For the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary, that will include a gathering a the home of safety DeShon Elliott.
Steelers cornerback Darius Slay said it’s a good excuse for the team to get together and spent some time outside of the locker room or practice facility.
“I said, make sure you have some good food,” he said. “So, go kick it, watch the game, hang out for a little bit, man. Just, you know, like I said, it’s always bigger than football.”
But for Slay, he’s going to wish he was about five hours east of the Elliott residence. Thursday night’s game is in Philadelphia because Slay and the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX this February, and a part of Slay wishes he could be there for the festivities.
“Oh, man, it’s going to be crazy,” Slay said. “It’s gonna be lit, man. I’m thankful where I’m at today, but, of course, as a player that contributed to help with that Super Bowl, it’d be nice to see it just fall down and then I just magically appear back here. … But we know that’s not possible.”
Slay received his Super Bowl LIX championship ring back during training camp, and while he does not wear it around the Steelers facility, he said he’s going to be wearing it proudly Thursday night.
“Low key, as the banner’s going down, I got the ring ready, just to put it on my finger,” Slay said. “I might shed a little tear, and then it’s back to reality.”
Slay is happy to be with the Steelers, who pursued him this offseason in part because of the experience he brings to the table after winning a championship, but he said he will always fondly remember his time in Philadelphia.
“Man, I’m just so thankful for that organization,” Slay said. “That organization helped me win a championship. They put me in all the great positions to be successful in the championship. So I’m always going to be thankful for Philly.”
And if there was any question as to who Slay will be rooting for on Thursday, he cleared that up, as well:
“I still don’t like the Cowboys, either.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Darius Slay Emotional About Eagles Super Bowl Banner-Raising: ‘I Might Shed a Little Tear’
