Eagles Rumors: Darius Slay Expected to Remain in PHI Despite Release Rumors

Darius Slay was a key part of the secondary that helped the Philadelphia Eagles reach the Super Bowl this past season, and the front office reportedly is having a difficult time with the idea of moving on from him this offseason.

While ESPN's Adam Schefter initially reported reported Philadelphia plans on releasing him, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports noted members of the front office "still wish they could keep him." Schefter went a step further and reported the team was expected to keep the veteran corner.

Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports provided additional context:

Dianna Russini of ESPN previously reported the Eagles were "hopeful" they could keep him even when granting him permission to seek a trade. Ultimately, though, the salary-cap hit of $26.1 million—the highest among all cornerbacks in 2023—is likely too big an issue to overcome.

On Wednesday morning, Slay didn't sound like someone coming back even if he was appreciative of his time with the team:

The veteran cornerback has been with Philadelphia since the NFC East team acquired him from the Detroit Lions via trade before the 2020 season. He was a three-time Pro Bowler during his seven seasons with the Lions and made back-to-back Pro Bowls the past two years for the Eagles.

While he wasn't quite at the same level as in 2017 when he led the league with eight interceptions and 26 pass breakups, he still finished the 2022 campaign with 55 tackles, 14 passes defended and three interceptions.

He also helped the team reach the Super Bowl by consistently defending some of the opponent's best pass-catchers, which freed up other members of the secondary to make plays elsewhere on the field.

Philadelphia may be missing that in 2023, but it sounds like the front office isn't ready to quite give up on the idea of bringing him back after all.