With the Philadelphia Eagles hiring Matt Patricia as their defensive coordinator, the potential reunion of Patricia and cornerback Darius Slay could be a story to watch. The two had a contentious relationship when Patricia was the head coach for the Detroit Lions, and Slay has expressed his displeasure about how Patricia treated him.
Slay was vocal about his feelings prior to Super Bowl LVII, as he told reporters “He basically just said, ‘You are not in that category yet.’ At that time, I only had one Pro Bowl but now I’m at five, so I want to know how he feels about that now. I don’t wish bad on him, but as a man, me and him just don’t get along. He’s a smart coach, he knows his Xs and Os, but the disrespect is not what I’m with.”
Now, with Patricia joining the Eagles coaching staff, Slay may be faced with the decision of whether to remain in Philadelphia. As the final year of his contract approaches in 2023, Slay will have a non-guaranteed $17 million base salary. He may not be thrilled about the situation, but it’s possible that Patricia targeted Slay because he was the biggest, baddest guy on the team. That’s The Patriot Way. Attacking the best player shows that everyone will be held to a high standard, or whatever.
Either way, the potential reunion of Matt Patricia and Darius Slay is sure to be an interesting story to follow in the coming months and years. Both men will now have to decide if they can coexist in the same locker room, and if Slay can get past the perception of disrespect from Patricia. It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out, and if Slay is able to put the past behind him.
