Getty Darius Slay celebrates with Jarrad Davis.
Darius Slay was rumored to be placed on the trading block by the Detroit Lions, but that didn’t seem to impact the cornerback much if at all this week.
As the deadline came and went, Slay remained with the Lions. When that played out, Slay was too busy tuning out the proceedings to care, choosing to play video games rather than keep up with all of the trade deadline drama playing out in real time on the internet.
Slay reaffirms he didn’t care what happened at the trade deadline. Said he didn’t pay attention to any of the rumors. Played video games, instead.
As for the future, Slay admitted that he would have no trouble sticking around in Detroit for the rest of his career, mostly because he loves the fans and how they support him and the team.
Says wouldn’t mind playing entire career here, especially with the support of these fans.
That’s good news for the Lions given Slay’s recent frustration after the Quandre Diggs trade.
Jennifer Slay Tweets Excitement
In the aftermath of the move, one other person in the family was particularly pleased by Detroit’s decision.
As the clock ticked down on another trade deadline and nothing happened in Detroit. After the deadline ran out without any deal, Slay’s wife Jennifer hopped on Twitter and excitedly shared the news. The Slay’s wouldn’t be leaving Detroit after all.
The Slay’s ain’t going no where!!!😜 Detroit is home!♥️
Rumors had Slay as potentially on the move, but whether that was true or false in the end, a deal never panned out, meaning Slay gets to stay and play his brand of cornerback for the Lions.
Normally, athletes want to get as far away from the Lions as possible given their futility, so it’s refreshing to see Slay’s family so excited to stay put.
Darius Slay a big Play Player
Slay has been elite since being a second round draft pick of the Lions back in 2013, and has developed into one of the elite shut down corners in the entire league. He’s also a star for the Lions in the community, and arguably, is one of the top faces of the franchise at this point in time.
This past offseason, Slay missed the OTA period for Detroit amid wanting a new contract. While the Lions haven’t worked anything out with him, they also haven’t closed the door on making his re-signing a priority in the future, meaning a trade is possible if the team wants to move on. Slay also had a strong reaction to the team dealing Quandre Diggs for a draft pick last week.
There’s simply no doubting the importance of him to the team in both the short and the long term.
Will Darius Slay get Traded?
Even as the Lions held on to Slay at the 2019 deadline, the team could be aggressive with their cornerback this offseason on the open market. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, while Slay might not have been traded right now, a deal could be struck next offseason to move the cornerback to a new location who might be more apt to give him a new contract.
Here’s what Birkett wrote:
“I’d be surprised if the Lions dealt Slay, their best cornerback – even if he hasn’t played at a Pro Bowl level this year – before Tuesday’s deadline. The more likely scenario is that the Lions send Slay to a team willing to give him a new contract at some point before next year’s draft.”
The contract seems to be the big sticking point with Slay. Are the Lions prepared to shell out the cash to Slay for the long term? He is 28 years old, and is theoretically in his prime. Cornerbacks, however, can have a short shelf life, especially if they get dinged up. This season, Slay has suffered a bulky hamstring, which was injured ironically enough in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in September.
For now, though, none of that is a concern. Slay is staying in the Motor City, and that’s enough to make him pretty happy.
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