Steelers' New Corner Brings Health Concerns
In an attempt to improve the roster, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan has made a number of moves this offseason.
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Khan attempted to upgrade the secondary earlier this offseason with a trade for Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr.
Now, we find out he may have arrived with an injury concern.
NFL insider Adam Caplan appeared on FOX Sports Radio to discuss Slay's knee injury that dates back to 2023.
"As I'm told, one of his knees is a concern," Caplan said. "He actually had arthroscopic surgery on it late in 2023. He's got great length, and he was super fast coming out of Mississippi State. You have to wonder how well he can run. … You never know when a guy's going to lose it, and they could lose it in an instant."
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Slay originally suffered the injury in Week 5 of 2023, causing him to miss the following week. After the condition lingered, he finally elected for arthroscopic surgery ahead of Week 15 and he missed the rest of the regular season.
He returned for the Eagles' Wild Card game against the Bucs before suffering a back injury.
During 2024, Slay dealt with a number of injuries, including a knee, a groin and an ankle sprain.
Injuries could be a part of why he told NBC Sports Philadelphia that he intends to retire after the 2025 season. Since then he was released by the Eagles and signed by the Steelers.
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We'll see if he can stay healthy next season and if that has an impact on his decision to play again in 2026.
Related: Ex Steelers Quarterback Blames Team for Kenny Pickett's Failure in Pittsburgh
Related: Steelers Could Find Defensive Depth with Home-Grown Talent
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
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