The Detroit Lions have one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL on their roster. Now the 28-year old is reportedly looking for a new deal in Motown.
Last season, the Detroit Lions only sent two players to the Pro Bowl. Those being cornerback Darius Slay and long snapper Don Muhlbach. For Slay, it was his second-straight Pro Bowl nomination after finally cracking the code in 2017 posting a whopping eight interceptions that tied him for the most in the NFL that season.
Originally a second-round selection out of Mississippi State back in 2013, many Lions’ fans felt Slay has been a Pro Bowl-worthy cornerback for much of his six-year career. But the fact he posted a total of six interceptions over his first four seasons held back any sort of nomination.
Despite the lack of league recognition, the Lions inked Slay to a four-year, $50.2 million contract extension in June of 2016. He promptly rewarded their faith with back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons. The 28-year old is scheduled to make a salary cap hit of nearly $30 million over the next two years according to Spotrac.com.
Going into this upcoming season, Slay is only the 13th highest paid cornerback in the NFL based on yearly-average salary (which sits just over $12 million). And now, the veteran corner is reportedly looking for a raise.
On Thursday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press confirmed that Slay was sitting out of voluntary OTA’s hoping to land a new deal in the Motor City. And that next week’s mandatory minicamp will help to determine how serious the situation is. If Slay sits out again, this time he’ll be fined. Fans will also need to watch whether defensive tackle Damon Harrison is absent during the minicamp as well as he’s also looking for a new deal in Detroit.
Darius Slay rewarded the Detroit Lions with his play the last time he got a financial bump. There is no reason to think he wouldn’t build on the 43 tackles, 17 pass defend, three interceptions, one defensive touchdown stat-line he posted last season as well. The Lions should strongly consider making Slay one highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.