As the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The Pittsburgh Steelers appear ready to try again with the veteran cornerback market this offseason.
FOX Sports’ Justin Schultz reported on March 10 the Steelers have agreed to a deal with veteran cornerback Darius Slay. Other reports, most notably Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, indicate the Steelers have not reached an agreement with Slay.
But the Steelers’ intentions are clear. They aim to add Slay to replace starting cornerback Donte Jackson.
On March 10, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Jackson is set to leave for the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers lost a starting cornerback Monday on the first day of legal tampering, and they are negotiating with a six-time Pro Bowl player to replace him,” wrote TribLive.com’s Joe Rutter in summary of the team’s cornerback situation.
Slay will presumably replace Jackson, who started at cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr. in 2024. The Steelers acquired Jackson in a trade last March to replace veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson after one season.
Two years ago, the Steelers signed Peterson to replace departed veteran Cameron Sutton. The offseason before that, the Steelers brought in veteran cornerback Levi Wallace.
Steelers Closing In on Deal With CB Darius Slay
A week before the NFL’s legal tampering period began, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported that some of his sources “wonder” if Slay could be interested in signing with the Steelers due to defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
Slay played for Austin with the Detroit Lions from 2014-17.
With that in mind and the Steelers’ pattern of targeting veteran cornerbacks in free agency, it’s not surprising to see Pittsburgh linked with Slay on March 10.
However, there is a holdup in Slay’s potential free agency. Florio reported Slay remains under contract with the Eagles. Florio added that Philadelphia has given Slay permission to speak with other teams but for a trade, not free agent signing.
On March 3, Rapoport reported the Eagles were releasing Slay as a post-June 1 release. Doing that will save Philadelphia $4.3 million against the salary cap. But the Eagles will not be able to spend that until after May.
NFL insider Josina Anderson tweeted that it was her “understanding” that Slay wouldn’t have to wait until after June 1 to begin negotiating with other teams. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case with Florio’s report that the Eagles are seeking a trade.
How Slay Could Fit With the Steelers
Because of his previous experience in Austin’s defense, Slay is an obvious fit for the Steelers. The team now also has a need at cornerback with Jackson officially on the move.
Jackson experienced an inconsistent 2024 campaign for the Steelers. He led the team with five interceptions. But Jackson also struggled in coverage, particularly at the end of the season during Pittsburgh’s five-game losing streak.
At Pro Football Focus, Jackson posted the worst overall grade of his career. He also registered his lowest career grade in coverage.
Darius Slay has made six Pro Bowls in his 12-year NFL career. In 2017, he earned a first-team All-Pro nomination.
The Steelers hope at 34 years old he will have more to offer than Peterson in 2023. Peterson was a former first-team All-Pro cornerback who spent his final NFL season in Pittsburgh during 2023.
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