Getty Images Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a reception past Darius Slay #2 of the Philadelphia Eagles(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Eagles will be without Darius Slay for several weeks, after the star cornerback underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, head coach Nick Sirianni revealed Saturday.
Slay will be out for the Eagles’ contest on Monday night in Seattle against the Seahawks, but there is no timetable for his return, with four games remaining in the 2023 regular season.
This has been an injury-riddled season for Slay, who missed Week 6, and has played through his current knee injury for several games. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Eagles hope that by having surgery this week, that Slay will have enough time to recover in order to get back on the field when the NFL Playoffs begin next month.
In 12 games this season, Slay has been one of the few bright spots in an Eagles secondary that has struggled to maintain any level of consistency. Posting 57 total tackles, Slay has two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, along with 14 pass breakups.
How Will Eagles Replace Darius Slay?
Slay’s absence creates a significant void at a glaring weakness on the Eagles’ defense, and couldn’t come at a worse time.
Ahead of a must-win game against the Seahawks, led by dynamic wide receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the Eagles are going to need to find a way to neutralize Seattle’s vertical passing attack without their best cornerback on the field.
With Slay sidelined, the Eagles could turn to veteran Bradley Roby or rookie Kelee Ringo opposite James Bradberry at cornerback.
Ringo has taken his lumps when called upon, allowing opposing quarterbacks to produce a 118.8 passer rating when targeting him, according to Pro Football Focus, as wide receivers are averaging 23.5 yards per reception. However, the University of Georgia alum has only appeared in 15 snaps.
Meanwhile, Roby is allowing wide receivers just 6.8 yards per reception in his 165 coverage snaps, as PFF points out, since being chosen with the No. 105 overall pick in the fourth-round of this spring’s NFL Draft.
As for the receivers Roby and Ringo could be tasked with keeping under wraps, Metcalf has caught 51 passes for 864 yards and seven touchdowns, while Lockett has added 65 receptions for 711 yards and four touchdowns.
It will remain to be seen just how prepared Roby, Ringo and the rest of the Eagles’ reserve cornerbacks will be for Monday night’s contest, especially against two of the premier receivers in the sport.
Monday Night vs. Seahawks Critical for Eagles
Monday night’s game carries significant playoff implications for the Eagles.
While the Eagles still have a better conference record than the Cowboys, at 6-2, Dallas is 7-3, so Philadelphia has minimal margin for error when it comes to the race both for the NFC East division championship and the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
The Eagles finish with four conference games, against the Seahawks, Cardinals, and a pair of showdowns against the NFC East rival Giants to close out the season. Even losing against the Seahawks could make the Eagles’ climb back up towards the No. 1 seed a more daunting one down the stretch.
Philadelphia and Seattle kickoff at 8:15 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 18 at Lumen Field.