Eagles Were Closer Than Expected to Darius Slay Return

Slay reveals he was set to join the Eagles before the Bills claimed him off waivers.

Mar. 23, 2026 at 12:26am

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Former NFL cornerback Darius Slay revealed that he was very close to returning to the Philadelphia Eagles after the Pittsburgh Steelers released him. Slay said he was preparing to fly to Los Angeles to join the Eagles' sideline for a game against the Chargers, with the plan to sign with the team the following Monday. However, the Buffalo Bills claimed Slay off waivers, leading him to ultimately retire from the NFL.

Why it matters

Slay's comments provide insight into how close the Eagles were to bringing back the veteran cornerback, who had previously played for the team and won a Super Bowl with them. The revelation that Slay was essentially ready to sign with the Eagles before the Bills intervened is an interesting 'what-if' scenario for Philadelphia fans.

The details

Slay said he had told the Bills beforehand that he didn't want to play for them because 'it's too cold' in Buffalo. When the Bills claimed him off waivers, Slay said he decided to retire rather than join them for just one game at the end of the season.

  • Slay was set to fly to Los Angeles to join the Eagles' sideline for their game against the Chargers.
  • The Bills called Slay on the Sunday before the game and said they would release him after their matchup with the Eagles in Week 17.

The players

Darius Slay

A 13-year NFL veteran cornerback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and won a Super Bowl with the team.

Buffalo Bills

The NFL team that claimed Darius Slay off waivers, leading him to ultimately retire from the league.

Philadelphia Eagles

The NFL team that Darius Slay was very close to re-joining before the Bills claimed him off waivers.

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What they’re saying

“Now that I'm done, I can speak on a lot of stuff. Yeah, I don't know what Buffalo was thinking. I told them way before, 'Hey, I ain't coming to Buffalo.' I just ain't. I love you. I appreciate that you believe in me but I'm not coming. It's too cold.”

— Darius Slay

“They called me Sunday when I was getting ready to book my flight to go down to LA to fly back with them boys because I was going to be on the sideline and all that. That's what they wanted me to come for. So, I'm like 'bet.' And I'll go be with the Eagles. Then, man, [the Bills] called me Sunday and was like, 'Nah, we ain't doing that. We will release you after we play them.' And I'm like, 'Alright, bet.'”

— Darius Slay

The takeaway

Slay's comments reveal just how close he was to returning to the Eagles, a team he had success with in the past. The fact that the reunion was derailed at the last minute by the Bills' waiver claim is an intriguing 'what-if' scenario for Philadelphia fans, who likely would have welcomed back the veteran cornerback.