It looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers had their first signing after the legal tampering period opened on Monday in cornerback Darius Slay, but now there are conflicting reports about the deal.
Initially, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported that Slay and the Steelers had agreed to an undisclosed contract. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette echoed that report.
However, not long after Dulac’s and Schultz’s reports, they were refuted by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who said no deal is done yet.
Adding to that, Florio says the Eagles might still keep Slay — who remains under contract but has been given permission to speak to teams — or trade him.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, there’s ‘no deal yet’ in place for Slay,” Florio wrote. “Slay is indeed talking to the Steelers. The Eagles also might keep him.
“Slay remains under contract with the Eagles, but he has permission to speak to other teams to discuss a possible trade. Nothing is expected to be finalized until Wednesday.”
While all this is going on, the Steelers now need to find a replacement for veteran cornerback Donte Jackson, who has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Slay would offer a great replacement for Jackson, who manned the spot opposite Joey Porter Jr. in 2024 after being acquired from the Carolina Panthers via an offseason trade.
Slay’s 54.7% completion rate allowed and 81.9 passer rating given up were some of the best coverage numbers of his career despite the fact that he’s in his mid-thirties.
But, stay tuned, because this one is not set in stone.
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