The Buffalo Bills need to reload a depleted secondary. So when a six-time Pro Bowler became available, they put in a waiver bid.

That doesn’t quite work for Darius Slay, however.

The 34-year-old cornerback was released after 10 games and nine starts in his only season as a Pittsburgh Steeler. The 13-year veteran has been uneven, giving up completions on 75 percent of his targets for the league’s 14th-ranked passing defense. Still, Buffalo needed bodies and the opportunity to unite Slay with Tre’Davious White to create the most devastating cornerback combination of 2019 was too much to pass up. They snagged the former Lion, Eagle and Steeler off waivers in hopes of bolstering their playoff push.

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Except, whoops, Slay doesn’t know if he’s into it.

While Slay could help the Bills chase down a Super Bowl, he’s already got one of those rings. Now he’s left to weigh the damage of another NFL season on a body with plenty of mileage against the reality he’s no longer the athlete he once was after 198 games.

And also, he’s probably seen the polar vortex forecasted to blast the NFL’s snowiest environment with some truly ludicrous wind chills in December.

Slay has already collected the $8.745 million he was guaranteed in his $10 million deal with Pittsburgh. Buffalo would offer about $350,000 more over five games before any playoff bonuses kicked in. For a player with more than $110 million in career earnings, that may not be enough to convince him to get torched by Kyle Williams or Malik Washington on a snowy, 12 degree day. Sure, that wasn’t a problem in Philadelphia — but he was also *way* better as an Eagle than he is at age 34.

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Thus, Slay is left with a decision. Does he trust his body to hold up and be the cornerback the Bills want him to be? Can he stay true to his legacy as he struggles against Father Time? And, more importantly, is he willing to be cold as hell for a month plus for what is, to him, a modest payday?

Tough questions, all.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Darius Slay validly considering retirement over December in Buffalo