The Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t afraid to add older players this offseason. Aaron Rodgers, the oldest player in the NFL, draws the most attention, but at 34 years old, Darius Slay is near the end of his career, too. It isn’t often that cornerbacks continue to play well at that age. While Slay played well last season, his play could drop off this season, according to NFL insider Adam Caplan.
“No offense to Darius Slay, he got cut by the Eagles, but he did look good late last season,” Caplan said recently on FOX Sports Radio. “As I’m told, one of his knees is a concern. He actually had arthroscopic surgery on it late in 2023. He’s got great length, and he was super fast coming out of Mississippi State.
“You have to wonder how well he can run. And the Eagles learned this with James Bradbury, who they cut, who signed a big extension two years ago. You never know when a guy’s going to lose it, and they could lose it in an instant. The Steelers know this.”
Slay underwent knee surgery in mid-December 2023. He missed the final four games of the season, although he returned for Philadelphia’s playoff game.
Shortly after undergoing surgery, Slay provided details on how long the injury had been bothering him.
“It was something that needed to be done,” Slay said via Eagles Everything on Instagram. “Been dealing with it for four years, since 2019, since I got traded over here. I’ve been going through it every day. I’ve been playing probably on like a 30-percent leg for two years.”
It’s important to note that Slay didn’t look terrible after coming back from surgery. He played in 14 games in 2024, but his play took a step back. That probably contributed to the Eagles’ decision to cut him this offseason.
A 34-year-old corner with knee issues doesn’t sound ideal. Perhaps that’s part of why the Steelers traded for Jalen Ramsey. There’s been some speculation that Ramsey could play safety or slot corner for the Steelers, but nothing has been confirmed about his position. Throughout most of his career, he’s been an outside corner.
Therefore, Ramsey could stick there in Pittsburgh, which could lighten Slay’s load. Still, it’s a little curious why they signed him if there are concerns about his knee. Before acquiring Ramsey, their depth at corner wasn’t great.
Cory Trice Jr., Brandin Echols, and James Pierre likely make up the Steelers’ other options at boundary corner, and they all have big question marks. Trice has struggled to stay healthy. Echols doesn’t have a lot of starting experience on the outside. Pierre is more of a special teams player.
Ramsey gives the Steelers a better option at corner, but losing Minkah Fitzpatrick leaves them with a hole at safety. Their secondary could be in trouble if they suffer a few injuries. That issue plagued them last year, and it might rear its ugly head again.
However, perhaps Slay’s knee won’t give him too many problems. He was serviceable last year, and Pittsburgh would probably be happy if he could put together another season like that. This situation is probably one to monitor closely as the season progresses.