The Philadelphia Eagles are in their second Super Bowl in the last three seasons and looking for revenge on the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl 57. Darius Slay has been an integral part of the Eagles’ roster for both of Philadelphia’s recent NFC Championship-winning seasons, but his career may not last much longer.
Slay is a six-time Pro Bowl cornerback and is at the end of his 12th NFL season. At 34, this could be his last shot at winning a Super Bowl.
Darius Slay Speaks on His NFL Future
Slay is in his fifth season with the Eagles and wants to end his career with his current team.
“Next year will most likely be my last,” Slay said. “I would love for it to be with the Philadelphia Eagles.” Whether the Eagles would like Slay to return remains to be seen and will presumably be a storyline in the 2025 offseason.
Darius Slay wants to play 13 seasons and then call it a career. “Next year will most likely be my last. I would love for it to be with the Philadelphia Eagles.”
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 5, 2025
Despite his age, Slay has remained a vital piece of Philadelphia’s defense. He started 14 games in 2024, registering 49 tackles (39 solo, 10 assists), 13 pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
The Eagles finished the 2024 season ranked No. 2 in PFN’s Defense+ metric, with a score of 87.9 (B+). Their defense was a significant part of the team’s success, and was a surprise to many, after the unit struggled in 2023.
Philadelphia hired Vic Fangio as the defensive coordinator during the 2024 offseason, and under his leadership, the unit has excelled.
In addition to Fangio, the Eagles brought in several new players on defense including Zach Baun, Bryce Huff, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean. Baun has developed into a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year in the center of the Eagles’ defense, though Huff has not worked out as expected, registering only 2.5 sacks.
However, the two rookie defensive backs have had a massive impact on Philadelphia’s defense. Mitchell started 16 games, registering 46 tackles (37 solo, nine assists), and 12 pass deflections, while serving as an integral cover corner for Philadelphia. Meanwhile, DeJean started nine games, registering 51 tackles (38 solo, 13 assists), six pass deflections, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries, while serving as a jack of all trades for the Eagles.
While Slay has been the centerpiece of Philadelphia’s secondary for much of his time with the team, less was needed of him this year than in the past due to the high-level of play from the Eagles’ top two 2024 NFL Draft selections.
Despite still playing at a high-level, Slay could be a potential cap casualty or trade candidate come the offseason, as the team has several high-profile free agents, including Josh Sweat, Mekhi Becton, and Baun.
What the future holds for Slay and the Eagles remains to be seen, but that’s not where the attention will lie this weekend. Right now, the Eagles have their sights set on their Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs.