NFL Cornerback Darius Slay Calls It Quits After 13-Season Career

Veteran NFL cornerback Darius Slay Jr. has decided to hang up his cleats after 13 seasons in professional football. The 35-year-old defensive back earned six Pro Bowl selections during his career with Detroit, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.

Veteran NFL defensive back Darius Slay Jr. has decided to end his professional football career, making the announcement through an Instagram post on Monday.

The 35-year-old cornerback, who was selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, earned six Pro Bowl honors throughout his 13-year career in the league.

“Dear football, I wanna thank you for all you’ve done for me,” Slay wrote in his Instagram announcement video. “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.”

During his career, Slay earned three Pro Bowl nominations while playing for Detroit from 2013-19, and another three during his time with Philadelphia from 2021-24. After the Eagles cut him last March, he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2025 season, appearing in 10 contests with nine starts before being waived in early December.

Though the Buffalo Bills picked him up off waivers, Slay chose not to join the team and remained inactive for the rest of the season.

Prior to announcing his retirement, Slay had made his intentions clear in a social media video about his future plans.

“No team can call me but Eagles. No team can call me, everybody knows,” Slay stated.

The cornerback, who earned first-team All-Pro recognition in 2017, concludes his NFL tenure with impressive statistics: 655 total tackles, 28 interceptions with three returned for scores, 17 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, 163 passes defended, two forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries including two touchdown returns across 187 games with 176 starts.