NFC East Watch: Eagles Key Defender Believes His Days May Be Numbered

Darius Slay is getting ready for his 12th NFL season and his fifth with the Eagles.

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (2) is carted off the field after an injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half of a 2024 NFC wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles, arch rivals of the New York Giants, seem to have an aging problem on their hands when it comes to the secondary. 

Cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry aren't getting any younger. Slay is 33 years old, and despite his longevity and his consistency at the position of cornerback, the clock appears to be ticking toward the end of his NFL career.

"Not too many,” Slay told Dave Zangaro of Sports Philadelphia about how many more years he might go beyond the 12 he’s already put into the league.

“I’m not going to just keep playing. I’m going to let these young guys eat. That’s what I’m here for, to make sure these guys get there.”

Slay, named Zangaro’s seventh most important Eagles player, was talking about the young defensive backs the Eagles drafted this year, Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell, their first round pick, and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean out of Iowa.

Mitchell, a physical specimen, was widely considered one of, if not the best cornerbacks in the draft.

NFL analyst Greg Cosell described Mitchell as “one of the most athletically gifted corners in the draft” who has the size/speed/physicality/ competitiveness profile NFL teams desire. 

“While Mitchell did not play at a Power 5 school and some might see that as a negative, it is evident from his 2023 tape that he has all the physical and movement traits demanded to play outside corner in the NFL at a high level," Cosell added. 

“Overall. Mitchell has all the needed traits to develop into a high-level NFL outside corner.”

DeJean, meanwhile, was touted by Cosell as a "higher-level defensive back who could likely play well in multiple positions.”

As for Slay, once his NFL career comes to a close, he said he’s going to turn his attention to doing something far more important.

“When my time is up, It’s up. I’m ready to be a full-time daddy,” he told Zangaro. “I got a daughter who’s running track. Ready to have my track hat on. I’m trying to get into tennis too, so I can be like a tennis dad and all kinds of great stuff.”

Slay has played in 60 of 67 possible games since his 2020 arrival in Philadelphia and has earned Pro Bowl recognition each of the last three seasons.

---

• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Follow on Instagram.
• Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.