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Heading into the 2024 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles made a concerted effort to get younger at cornerback, even if it meant taking a step back from their high water mark in 2022.
They released long-time slot cornerback Avonte Maddox – before eventually re-signing him on the cheap – drafted a pair of younger cornerbacks in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean with incredible upside but no real NFL production, and ultimately banished James Bradberry to the Shadow Realm of IR for a leg injury that apparently never recorded enough to return to the active roster.
And yet, when the Eagles really needed someone to step up and slow down the likes of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs vs. the Los Angeles Rams, it was the oldest man in the secondary, Darius Slay, who answered the challenge, making play after play against much younger foes in this is year 34 season.
What gives? How is Slay continuing to play at such a high level at one of the most physically demanding positions in the NFL a decade into his career? Well, reporters asked Nick Sirianni that very question on Wednesday and let it be known that it all comes down to energy.
“That any time you’re around [CB Darius] Slay, he’s got this energy, and this love for his teammates, and this love for football, and this love for life. That’s infectious. There is a reason he continues to be voted a captain on this football team,” Siriann told reporters.
“You get around him, and he can’t help himself of his love for his teammates. Any time you talk to Slay, he’s talking about his teammates, and football, and just everything. So that’s infectious. You love having guys like that. We’ve got a lot of guys like that here, and Slay is definitely at the top of the list there, just bringing that positive energy every day regardless of the circumstances. It’s a long season, and there is something to that. He is a phenomenal leader, a phenomenal player, and I’ve loved being around him for these past four years.”
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was asked about Slay’s play during his Week 21 media availability, too, letting it be known that much like a fine wine, “Big Play” only gets better with age.
“Well, he’s like some good Italian red wine. Gets better with age,” Fangio told reporters. “He’s still in good shape. Hadn’t lost much of his movement. Still really likes to play, and I think that’s a big part of it.”
Will the day eventually come when Slay is watching along from the sidelines as an alumni next to Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox? Sure, and that day could come as soon as this fall. But for now, Slay is still playing at a Pro Bowl level for the Eagles, and they are going to need every bit of that production if they are going to make it back to...
