Nov 14, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (2) and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (23) break up pass in the end zone for Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
There will be plenty of time to think about next year's Philadelphia Eagles after the Super Bowl.
But this report regarding Darius Slay, from NBC Sports Philadelphia's Ashlyn Sullivan, is a stark reminder that this year's special Eagles group won't be together forever:
Darius Slay is preparing for Sunday to be his last home game at Lincoln Financial field.
Slay told me this week after having conversations with his family, he is 85% leaning towards playing one more season, but understands it most likely won’t be with the Eagles. When I asked… pic.twitter.com/2JzvyB0tSD
Slay played for the Detroit Lions for seven years before joining the Eagles in 2020. He's a six-time Pro Bowler and a 2017 All-Pro.
The cornerback agreed to restructure his contract with the Birds in March 2023, and the new deal technically locked Slay up as an Eagle through the 2025 season. The intricacies of the contract's salary cap implications, however, suggest that he won't be with Philadelphia next year when the club decides whether to exercise a $16.1 million option. Writes Mike Chiari of Bleacher Report:
While a pre-June 1 cut or trade would result in $22.75 million in dead cap and an $8.97 million hit against the cap, designating [Slay] as a post-June 1 cut or trade would give the Eagles $4.324 million in cap savings in 2025.
If Big Play Slay really is on his way out of Philadelphia, let's hope he picks up a Super Bowl ring first.
