Steelers' Darius Slay Receives Alarming Wake-Up Call: "This Is Probably Not Good"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been far more aggressive during the tenure of General Manager Omar Khan compared to any of his predecessors' eras. It hasn't always worked out wonderfully, but the fan base has appreciated a little change of pace. The team continues to work towards building a true championship roster; however, there are always going to be simple signings made in free agency in the hopes of finding a diamond in the rough starter or solid depth piece. The front office attempted to fill a cornerback hole in the 2025 offseason by signing veteran defender Darius Slay, and it hasn't exactly panned out.

Slay was coming off of a Super Bowl victory with the Philadelphia Eagles, but the 34-year-old has looked his age throughout the 2025 campaign. He recently suffered a concussion, and pretty much lost his starting job to long-time special teams ace James Pierre. It's not something that would have been predicted prior to the season, but it has turned into a reality for the Steelers.

On Saturday evening, Rich Walsh hosted the Nightly Sports Call for CBS Pittsburgh and was joined by team beat writer Brian Batko, who reports for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Batko confirmed that Pierre seems to be in line to get the majority of the snaps moving forward, instead of the veteran in Slay.

"James Pierre has sort of solidified that other cornerback spot, despite Mike Tomlin saying prior to the Bears game in his press conference that Tuesday that Darius Slay would start when healthy," Batko said. "Well, [Tomlin] must have had a change of heart, or what he saw from Slay made him think he's not fully healthy, but it's not like it was a soft tissue injury or anything; he was in the concussion protocol."

Pittsburgh also made a somewhat significant in-season signing by inking Asante Samuel Jr. to a contract. The promising defender had surgery in the offseason, and is just returning to full health. He was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday, signaling a very bad outcome for Slay, per Batko.

"Maybe Slay had done enough damage to his standing to coaches that he's just not getting that job back, and it wouldn't even surprise me if Asante Samuel Jr. leapfrogs him, too," Batko noted. "That was my initial reaction to the announcement from the team [Saturday] was. 'This is probably not good for Slay.'"

It's unlikely that the Steelers would consider parting ways with someone like Slay, especially when a playoff appearance is within reach. His experience could be very good for the locker room, but if Samuel proves to be healthy and formidable, the oldest of the three could find himself mixing in on special teams and as a backup on the defensive side of the ball.

It has happened all too often in 2025 that Slay was seen getting beat off of the line of scrimmage. While his veteran prowess and past success get him some leeway, it hasn't been enough during his short stint with the Steelers. 

Pierre's emergence and the signing of Samuel paint a bleak picture for Slay, who could find himself watching a lot more from the sidelines compared to on the field. It's a good thing for Pittsburgh to have depth, but Slay may not be all too happy that he could fall to last on the depth chart.

Steelers Leaving No Stone Left Unturned In Pursuit Of Division Title

There were a lot of NFL teams that had interest in Samuel. He ended up landing in Pittsburgh, which gives the organization a leg up in seeing if he is worth signing come the 2026 offseason. The AFC North is currently wide open, and the front office in the Steel City saw a significant hole in the secondary. The hope is that it is now patched up, but Slay may suffer because of it.

Do you think that the Steelers are going to quickly put Samuel ahead of Slay on the depth chart? Let us know in the comments below!

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