**Can the Steelers trust Darius Slay to hold up in man coverage?**
Darius Slay is the latest in a growing line of aging cornerbacks the Steelers have turned to in recent years. They have seen mixed results, sometimes achieving productivity in the turnover department but falling short in other areas. What will they see with their latest project? Well, that may well depend on how they plan to deploy him.
If the Steelers brought in Slay for the purpose of running a heavy man scheme, that’s something of a gamble. At 34 years old, he is already outside of his prime. He may have lost a half a step or so, and he isn’t coming off his strongest season. In fact, he didn’t even record an interception during the regular season.
Of course, Darius Slay had been one of the premier cover corners of his generation, but what is he now? The Eagles were willing to lose him for a reason, and the Steelers found him at an affordable price for the same reason.
Players in Slay’s position insist that it’s age bias and that the NFL is a young man’s game. There may be some truth to that, but is Slay actually playing at a similarly high level with a similar skill set to five years ago? He thinks he is, but can he stick to wide receivers as he once did?
If he can’t, it’s unclear what their alternatives are. The Steelers could substitute Slay for Cory Trice Jr., but he didn’t exactly shine late last season when he played. Perhaps, instead, they would have to adjust their schemes. They could either shift to more zone coverage or give Slay more help.
I don’t think that’s what the Steelers signed Darius Slay for, though. It would seem to me they are banking on him being _that_ guy, like they thought Cordarrelle Patterson would be. Different positions, of course, but both with clearly diminishing athletic returns with age.
_The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein._
_Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is_ [_the quarterback question_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/04/schrager-thinks-steelers-passing-on-qb-in-1st-round-means-theyre-all-in-on-aaron-rodgers/)_. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The_ [_2025 NFL Draft class_](https://www.steelers.com/draft/) _is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete._
_But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. Certain will-he-or-won’t-he situations remain in play, which we continue to monitor. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go._