The Buffalo Bills looked to upgrade their secondary when they claimed veteran Darius Slay off waivers, even parting ways with a trusted cornerback to make room for him.
But Slay made an abrupt change after being waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers, deciding he did not want to play for the Bills. Slay explained his decision on Thursday, explaining why he didn’t want to play for the Bills — and sparking some controversy in the process.
Darius Slay: ‘I Don’t Feel Like Packing Up’
Slay had seen his role with the Steelers dwindle this season and was a healthy scratch in last week’s loss to the Bills. He was waived in what was described as a mutual decision, and the Bills put in a claim when he hit the waiver wire.
“I don’t feel like packing up and moving again,” Slay told Emmanuel Acho on “The Speakeasy”. “I’m 13 years in, like, I done did it. Like, they would have caught me at like 28, 29, I might have been like ‘OK.’ That’s a top organization. They have a lot of great things going. They win, they go to the playoffs, they got a franchise quarterback. So, it wasn’t a bad fit, it just caught me at a bad time.”
Slay said he explained his decision to the Bills, saying he is not interested in moving again.
“I talked to them,” Slay added. “It was a neutral talk. I just said, ‘Hey, man. I’m 34. I know ya’ll be watching tape, but I’m trying to relax with my family and kid. I ain’t feel like packing up, moving.’ And then, on top of that – no offense to Buffalo — it’s cold as hell in Buffalo. I’m from the south.”
There had been speculation that Slay wanted to finish his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, who also put in a claim but lost out as the Bills had a higher waiver priority. But the NFL bans any interaction between teams and players or their representation, so any attempt on Buffalo’s part to ask Slay about his plans would have been tampering and resulted in the loss of a draft pick as punishment.
Decision Leads to Pushback
Slay garnered some pushback for his explanation, with many criticizing him for trying to steer his landing spot. The Bills lost reserve cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram, who was placed on waivers to make room for Slay and picked up by the Houston Texans.
Others suggested the Bills could get themselves in trouble if they don’t waive Slay and allow him to find his preferred destination, speculating that it could be harmful for them to go against his powerful agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
“Buffalo has the upper hand but will they risk damaging their reputation with Rosenhaus and players across the league just to make a point?” one fan noted.
Some, including one prominent former Bills player, tried to convince Slay to change his mind. Shawne Merriman took to social media to tell Slay he understood the hesitancy to play in Buffalo — saying he felt that way before joining the Bills — but that it would be best for him to play.
Darius Slay Sparks Controversy With Statement on Not Playing for Bills