Darius Slay plans to retire as an Eagle

Darius Slay was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft (36th overall) out of Mississippi State, but he wants to be remembered as an all-time Eagles great. He initially made it clear that he'll answer any call from Philadelphia, but the talented cornerback announced his retirement from the NFL on Instagram after a 13-season career that included multiple Pro Bowl selections. Slay made it clear that he wouldn't entertain calls from other teams in a video with streamer Janky Rondo, which went viral on social media.

Slay previously said 2025 could be his final NFL season, and after being waived by Pittsburgh and claimed by Buffalo, the Pro Bowl cornerback is done. During a recent sit-down, Slay told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark he’s 99% sure he'll retire as an Eagle, emphasizing his desire to go out as a winner. Last spring, the Eagles released the Pro Bowl cornerback with a post-June 1 designation.

The move saved Philadelphia $4 million in cap space and ended one of the most dominant runs by a cornerback in franchise history. Slay started 14 games in 2024, recording 49 tackles (39 solo) and leading the NFL's No. 1 pass defense.

He also led the Eagles with 13 passes defended, marking the third straight season he has recorded 13+ pass breakups. Slay recorded his first career playoff interception when he picked off a Jordan Love pass with 14:52 remaining in the second quarter of the Eagles ' 22-10 win over Green Bay in the NFC Wild Card game. Slay is a six-time Pro Bowl honoree (2018, '19, '20, '22, '23, '24) named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 2017.