Darius Slay’s time in the Steel City has come to an end. The six-time Pro Bowler and the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to part ways on Tuesday, ending his stint with the team after just 10 games.
On the same day, the Steelers signed Asante Samuel Jr. to their 53-man roster from the practice squad. Slay, 34, was a healthy scratch over the weekend when the Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills, 26-7. He had already lost his starting job to James Pierre ahead of their Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Samuel got into the game during the loss to the Bills after Pierre was placed in concussion protocol. Speaking about the decision, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters, “It was less about Slay and more about an opportunity to get to see Samuel. He’s a global NFL starter type who has been on our practice squad. This time of the year attrition sets in, things happen and we wanted to have an opportunity to see him in stadium before we had to make a decision on him before someone else forced our hand.”
Slay joined the Steelers on a one-year, $10 million deal at the beginning of free agency in March, with the expectation of playing a significant role in the team’s secondary. However, things did not pan out as hoped, with injuries and inconsistent play hindering his performance.
The veteran cornerback has played 13 seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. Now that the Steelers are moving on from Slay, he will be available to any team through the waiver wire. Should he clear waivers, he would become an unrestricted free agent.
https://nypost.com/2025/12/02/sports/steelers-darius-slay-split-to-end-10-game-pittsburgh-tenure/