Darius Slay, a cornerback with the Philadelphia Eagles, has stated that before re-signing with the NFC champions last month, he was on the verge of joining the Baltimore Ravens.
The five-time Pro Bowler, who was a vital part of the Philadelphia Eagles squad that fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, appeared destined to depart the city when he was given the go-ahead to talk about a trade.
Even though Slay looked to be saying goodbye to the team’s fans on Twitter, the Eagles and the 32-year-old agreed to a two-year, $42 million contract deal.
That was a significant win for Philadelphia as they look to build on their 14-3 2022 campaign, but Slay has admitted a transfer to Baltimore was in the works prior to his change of heart.
“I was almost a Baltimore Raven. This close,” Slay told reporters, holding up two fingers.
“But I wanted to be an Eagle. I stayed an Eagle because I know we were going to figure something out.
More Big Play(s) Slay@bigplay24slay | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/IN6ZZUcSNR
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 17, 2023
“The Baltimore Ravens were the first team that called. They offered just what I wanted. I said, ‘If the Eagles do that, I’m going to stay an Eagle.’ It was nice. I was almost a Raven.”
Slay made 40 tackles and three interceptions across the regular season last term, while his 14 passes defensed saw him tie for 12th in the NFL.