Getty Images Darius Slay walks off the field during a NFL game in 2023.
There is no lingering bad blood between Darius Slay and Matt Patricia. Player and coach ironed out their differences by talking it out like men. That’s it. No drama or controversy is hovering over Philadelphia Eagles’ training camp.
Slay, speaking openly and honestly with a smile on his face, addressed the Eagles’ decision to hire Patricia after practice on July 28. The 32-year-old admitted things ended rather awkwardly in Detroit, adding that the two men are still building their relationship back up. Slay also confirmed the Eagles asked for his input – negative or positive – before formally adding Patricia to the coaching staff.
“It took a lot for both of us to talk, so we did a great job,” Slay told reporters. “I always tell guys, ‘We’re in a rented seat, nobody’s in this seat forever.’ So I said, ‘Y’all got to do what’s best for the organization, and they asked would I be cool with it, and I said yeah. Me and him talked man to man. We’ve got a great understanding. We both want to win, he’s here to help me get better, he wants to get better as a coach, so we’re in good hands right now.”
Darius Slay says the #Eagles called him about the hiring of Matt Patricia
The two have talked since he joined the Eagles
For a quick recap: Slay had felt disrespected by NSFW comments Patricia made about him. Twice, actually. The first diss happened during a one-on-one meeting where Patricia told Slay he wasn’t “elite.” It’s all water under the bridge now.
“He’s a man, I’m a man, so we just handled it,” Slay said. “We respect each other enough to put everything aside and let’s move forward and get better.”
@CharlesWoodson @qdiggs6 Gots to do my job to many guys depend on me!
Nick Sirianni Raves About Matt Patricia
Head coach Nick Sirianni was quick to squash rumors of any existing beef between Darius Slay and Matt Patricia back in April. The move hadn’t even been announced but the Eagles went into full-on crisis management mode. Three months later, Sirianni has been wowed by Patricia’s contributions to the coaching staff in his role as senior defensive assistant.
“He’s been an excellent resource for me,” Sirianni told reporters. “You bring guys like that in to do just that, be resources for you, be resources for the defensive coordinator. He has a ton of experience. It’s nice to have a former head coach on the staff that I’m able to bounce some different things off of.
“Like I said, awesome, awesome resource, comes from a great coaching tree. Always been fascinated by that coaching tree, and how I can pick the brain of that so I can continue to get better as a coach and ultimately us get better as a team.”
Nick Sirianni on Matt Patricia #Eagles
New defensive coordinator Sean Desai added: “I think it’s tremendous. I think I said this in my first press conference, it’s about talent acquisition, like that’s what this industry is, and it’s the same for coaches. We just want talented people that have no egos and that are going to work together towards a common cause.”
Kelly Green Apparel Set to Hit Stores
The Eagles finally announced the much-anticipated return of their kelly green throwback jerseys earlier this week. The team will begin selling merchandise on July 31 at 9 a.m. at all three Eagles Pro Shop locations: Lincoln Financial Field, Cherry Hill (NJ), and Lancaster (PA). In addition to the kelly green jerseys, fans will be able to purchase shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc. The gates to Pepsi Plaza, located outside the Linc, will open at 8 a.m.
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Darius Slay Breaks Silence on Eagles Hiring Matt Patricia