Steelers A to Z: Ex-All Pro Darius Slay added, but what’s his role after Ramsey acquisition?

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

CB DARIUS SLAY

Experience/age: 13^th season, 34

Contract status: $10 million cap hit in 2025, after which scheduled for unrestricted free agency

The past: A second-round pick taken between Steelers’ selections of Jarvis Jones and Le’Veon Bell in the 2013 draft, Slay evolved into one of the best players for the Lions over his seven seasons in Detroit. During his fifth, sixth and seventh NFL seasons as part of the Lions, Slay was named to the Pro Bowl roster. That span began with a first-team All Pro recognition after a 2017 season in which he tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with eight. But as things soured in Detroit under then-coach Matt Patricia, Slay was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a pair of mid-round draft picks in March 2020.

Signed to a lucrative contract extension, Slay made three Pro Bowl rosters with Philadelphia, scoring four defensive touchdowns and having 10 interceptions (including playoffs) while playing in two Super Bowls. He won a championship ring as part of an Eagles defense that shut down the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX in February. But, armed with a stable of high-level young cornerbacks and surely wanting to preserve cap space to keep their championship roster together, the Eagles released Slay this spring.

New Steelers veteran CB Darius Slay embraces the chance to mentor young players and wants to with Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr pic.twitter.com/cUYMyKoQxM

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) March 13, 2025

2025 outlook: The Steelers signed him to a one-year contract early in free agency, the third consecutive season they added a veteran cornerback to start. All indications were that Slay would team with third-year pro Joey Porter Jr. as the Steelers’ outside corners. Slay has earned a reputation for being a solid mentor and leader in the locker room, and he expressed that he couldn’t wait to work with Porter.

How much, however, did things change after the trade last month with the Miami Dolphins that brought former All Pro corner Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers? Ramsey has a slightly higher pedigree and he is four years younger. Simply put, Ramsey probably slots ahead of Slay on the depth chart. But modern football isn’t that cut-and-dried with subpackages and positional flexibility. Also, that the Steelers submitted safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the trade suggests that somebody — perhaps Ramsey, or even possibly Slay — could line up deep in the secondary at times. Ramsey playing slot/nickel is another option.

Slay wasn’t given $10 million to be a backup. But where he plays has yet to be determined. One of the major storylines to follow early in training camp is how the secondary shakes out. Slay is a significant piece of the puzzle worth tracking.