When the Philadelphia Eagles released Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay this past week, it wasn't much of a surprise for anyone.
Slay had teased Super Bowl LIX could be his last game in an Eagles jersey and even general manager Howie Roseman teased the idea that this could be a much different offseason than in previous years.
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The announcement to release Slay was weeks in the making. The fact the team did it now was to "do right" by the player so he can hit free agency quickly and get the best deal possible.
But on his podcast Wednesday evening, Slay made it clear that not only would he be open to a return, but that it would make a lot of sense for both parties.
"If there's any teams I'd love to play for, you already know it's Philly or the Detroit Lions," Slay said. "However that shake out, that's how that shake out. Man, that would be a blessing. That'd be like (Malcolm) Jenkins. He started off with the Saints, then came over to Philly, then he ended his career back over there with the Saints. I would love that in a way of just saying those are the two teams I be wanting to play for -- the Philadelphia Eagles or the Detroit Lions.
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"So, we'll see. We'll see. But now that I'm a free agent, I've got a good chance to just see what other teams are looking to offer your boy. There's a lot of great coaches I would love to play for. Y'all know I got big hype with big Mike (Tomlin) over there in Pittsburgh, man. There's a lot of great coaches I would love to learn from and just grow me as a character, as a player. We will see. We're looking forward to it."
Replacing Slay won't be easy, but the Eagles are uniquely prepared for it. It's why the organization seems more than ready to turn the page if the money can't be agreed to at this point in the process.
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This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 7:30 PM.