PITTSBURGH --Pittsburgh Steelers starting cornerback Darius Slay missed Thursday’s practice with a personal issue. He was a full participant on Wednesday, and it is unknown if the personal issue could force him to miss time and even Sunday’s game.
If Slay is limited or could not go, it would be Brandin Echols, who can play in the slot and outside, that would likely play against the Colts on Sunday. James Pierre is also the next backup the Steelers could turn to if Slay is limited.
The Steelers seemed to start cutting Slay’s role down against the Green Bay Packers. He played a season-low 50 percent of snaps while Echols’ playing time skyrocketed.
Slay has struggled mightily this season, and after allowing Packers wide receiver Savion Williams to run right by him for a touchdown on Sunday, he was yanked from the game moving forward.
Head coach Mike Tomlin says it was all because Echols has played well and deserves it, so they were rolling through a rotation rather than giving Slay the full complement of plays he would otherwise have.
“Just playing. We were rolling guys. Echols has been good for us and is deserving to play. We played him some,” Tomlin said.
On Wednesday, Slay acknowledged that he had not been playing up to his standards, and revealed he battled a ‘tight calf’ on Sunday against the Packers. That helped lead to a dramatic reduction in his workload that may continue moving forward.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.