The Buffalo Bills tried to add some secondary depth before the playoffs last year by claiming Darius Slay off waivers.
However, Slay decided not to report to the Bills, and in the process, Buffalo waived Ja’Marcus Ingram, who was claimed off waivers from the Houston Texans. It was a frustrating sequence for the Bills, and now, after retiring from the NFL, Slay opened up on his decision.
“I got a lot of love and respect for that organization (Buffalo) over there,” Slay said to Jim Rome. “But, where I’m at in my career, it was like, if I wasn’t going to Philly, I wasn’t probably going nowhere else. I ain’t want to pack up and move.
“I have the most respect for Josh Allen, I think he’s one of the best quarterbacks in this league. And, I do believe they had a great shot at being a championship contender. It was more about me, I didn’t feel like moving, packing up, I either wanted to go to Philly or go home.”
After deciding not to report to the Bills, Slay has since retired from the NFL, and he confirmed to Jim Rome that his retirement is for good.
Although he didn’t report to the Bills, Slay has plenty of praise for the organization and Josh Allen.
Slay Announces Retirement From NFL
After Slay didn’t report to Buffalo, the Bills opted not to release him so he could sign elsewhere.
So, after the season ended, the veteran cornerback decided it was time to end his career as he announced his retirement from the NFL.
“Dear football, I wanna thank you for all you’ve done for me,” Slay wrote on Instagram. “I’ve been blessed to play the game I loved since I was 5yrs old for an amazing 13yrs at the highest level. Football was my peace, my joy, my everything. This game put me in a position to help take care of my family and loved ones. And I’m forever grateful.
“It’s hard to say goodbye, but God has a new chapter for me and I’m ready to turn the page and start my new journey. To all my BigPlay fans, I will always appreciate the love and support y’all have given to me. I couldn’t have done it without you. Just A kid from Brunswick, GA with BIG dreams. BigPlay on and off the field! We Out.”
Slay is a six-time NFL Pro Bowler. He won Super Bowl LIX with the Eagles.
Bills GM Felt Flyer on Slay Was Worth it
Although Slay opted not to report to Buffalo, Bills general manager Brandon Beane felt like it was the right move.
Beane knew how important secondary depth is, so he felt like claiming Slay was worth the risk, even though the team lost Ingram on waivers.
“Sean and I always talked about areas of concern…as the season goes on you obviously face injuries, and at that point in the season, Dorian Strong was out, Maxwell [Hairston] had come back, we were still kinda working him in there. If Tre [White] or CB [Christian Benford] goes down, the next guy is Ja’Marcus.
“We think with Darius Slay, his history, his pedigree, would be a good guy. We’re trending towards the playoffs here. So we talked about it. Sean, his coaches watched him. We talked about the pros and cons to doing it, and we ultimately decided to do it.”
The Bills ended up having injuries to the secondary in the playoffs, as Dane Jackson had to play important snaps against the Denver Broncos. Had that been Slay, perhaps Buffalo’s season would have gone differently.
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