Veteran cornerback Darius Slay Jr has announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, bringing an end to a 13-year career that included multiple Pro Bowl honors.
The 35-year-old revealed his decision through a video posted on social media. His wife, Jennifer Slay, was quick to react.
“Dear football, I wanna thank you for all you’ve done for me,” Slay said in the caption of his announcement video on Instagram. “I’ve been blessed to play the game I loved since I was 5yrs old for an amazing 13yrs at the highest level. Football was my peace, my joy, my everything.
“This game put me in a position to help take care of my family and loved ones and I’m forever grateful. It’s hard to say goodbye, but God has a new chapter for me and I’m ready to turn the page and start my new journey.”
Jennifer Slay’s reaction
On her Instagram stories, Jennifer described Slay’s announcement as ‘the coldest video’, further posting photos of him.”Proud of you 2,” she wrote in all caps, referring to the ex-Eagles star’s jersey number.
Commenting under Slay’s post, she further added: “You had An amazing 13 years my love!!!! Put in the work, Sweat, tears all the above. Extremely blessed! We are all super proud of all your accomplishments! We love you and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you!!! GREATNESS my love!!! G.O.A.T out✌❤️”
Darius Slay- the most reliable CB
The 35-year-old defensive back entered the league as a second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Over the course of his career, he became one of the league’s most reliable cornerbacks.
Slay spent the early portion of his career with the Detroit Lions from 2013 through 2019 before later joining the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played from 2021 through 2024.
Across those stops, he earned six Pro Bowl selections-three with Detroit and three with Philadelphia.
Brief stops at the end
After being released by the Eagles last March, Slay signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the 2025 season. He appeared in 10 games and started nine before being placed on waivers in early December.
The Buffalo Bills later claimed him, but Slay chose not to report to the team and instead sat out the remainder of the season.
Prior to announcing his retirement, Slay had hinted that he would only consider returning to one franchise.
“No team can call me but Eagles. No team can call me, everybody knows,” Slay said in a clip he reposted on social media.
187 career games, 655 tackles
Slay closes his NFL career with an impressive statistical résumé. In 187 career games, including 176 starts, he recorded 655 tackles, 28 interceptions and 163 pass breakups.
Three of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns. He also posted 17 tackles for loss, forced two fumbles and recovered six fumbles, returning two of them for scores.
His standout 2017 season earned him first-team All-Pro honors, cementing his place among the league’s top defensive backs during his era.