For a player that wasn’t a free agent, Philadelphia Eagles’ cornerback Darius Slay sure had a wild offseason. He asked to be traded after his extension talks with the team failed, was set to be released, and then ended up staying in Philadelphia on a new contract. But it turns out there is more to his story.
Speaking on his “Big Play Slay” podcast, Slay revealed that he almost joined the Baltimore Ravens before staying with the Eagles. According to the veteran, the Ravens were the first team that called him and “offered just what I wanted.”
“I was almost a Baltimore Raven,” said Slay. “But I wanted to be an Eagle. I stayed an Eagle because I knew we were going to figure something out.”
The major issue for Slay was that he was entering the final year of his deal and didn’t have any guaranteed money left. The Eagles, on the other hand, couldn’t afford to keep him on his current contract as it was set to carry a $26 million salary cap hit in 2023. The two sides eventually found a way to continue together by agreeing on a new three-year, $42 million deal.
Slay, who has five Pro Bowls on his resume, played an important part on the Eagles’ team that finished with the NFC-best 14-3 record in 2022 and reached the Super Bowl. He played all 17 games in the regular season, contributing with 55 tackles, 14 passes defended, and three interceptions.
