The Philadelphia Eagles could make a major addition to their defense.
The Philadelphia Eagles' defense has been one of the strangest units in football this season. Some weeks, it looks impenetrable. Other days, it's like Swiss cheese.
The Eagles could definitely stand to add some help on that side of the ball heading into the playoffs, and they could find it in the form of an old friend.
John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia has reported that there is mutual interest in a reunion between Philadelphia and cornerback Darius Slay, who was just released by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Slay spent five seasons in Philly between 2020 and 2024, making three Pro Bowl appearances during his time with the Eagles. By last year, however, it was becoming patently obvious that the 34-year-old was declining, which resulted in Philadelphia releasing him.
But now, with the Eagles absolutely needing some extra depth in their secondary after their trade deadline acquisition of Jaire Alexander fell through, Slay would definitely make sense.
Darius Slay. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.The Mississippi State product was originally selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft and spent the first seven years of his career with the Lions, making three trips to the Pro Bowl. His best season came in 2017, when he racked up 60 tackles, eight interceptions and 26 passes defended en route to a First-Team All-Pro selection.
While Slay's best years were in Detroit, he certainly played a major role during his time in Philadelphia and would be welcomed back by the fanbase with open arms.
In 10 games with the Steelers this season, Slay logged 36 tackles, three passes defended and a fumble recovery, posting a subpar 58.6 coverage grade at Pro Football Focus.
The Eagles' pass defense ranks 20th in the NFL in terms of yards allowed, although it is fourth in opponent passer rating, creating quite an interesting dichotomy.
Philadelphia's defense as a whole is 25th in the league, though, so there is no question the team could use some improvement in that area (and let's not even get started on the offense).
Philly is 8-4 and will face the Los Angeles Chargers next Monday. We'll see if the Eagles ultimately sign Slay before then.