After simply 10 video games, the Pittsburgh Steelers and veteran cornerback Darius Slay have mutually agreed to half methods, in keeping with ESPN. The Steelers have reportedly stuffed Slay’s roster spot with Asante Samuel Jr., who made his season debut throughout Pittsburgh’s Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Payments.
A six-time Professional Bowler, Slay was a part of the Steelers’ re-vamped secondary that additionally included the acquisition of seven-time Professional Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Accidents, nonetheless, and inconsistent performances in the end led to Slay shedding his beginning job to James Pierre previous to Pittsburgh’s Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears. Slay was a wholesome scratch throughout this previous Sunday’s 26-7 loss to Buffalo.
Slay’s launch comes simply a number of weeks after Steelers coach Mike Tomlin mentioned that — when wholesome — Slay would proceed to stay within the beginning lineup. Hours earlier than releasing Slay, Tomlin mentioned that him being a wholesome scratch this previous Sunday was much less about Slay and extra about him wanting to present Samuel (a former second-round choose who joined Pittsburgh’s apply squad final month) a possibility to play.
Whereas Slay begins the method of searching for his subsequent alternative, the Steelers will as soon as once more should made sudden changes to a secondary that has already gone by threw a myriad of them by the season’s first 12 weeks.
Pittsburgh began the season with Slay, Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. as their beginning cornerbacks and Juan Thornhill and DeShon Elliott as their beginning safeties. On Sunday, Pierre is slated to proceed beginning alongside Porter and Brandin Echols, who entered the beginning lineup after Ramsey was moved to free security after Thornhill was launched. Kyle Dugger, who was acquired by way of a commerce with the New England Patriots on Oct. 31, has changed an injured Elliott at beginning robust security.
The Steelers’ move protection — which is presently twenty eighth within the NFL in passing yards allowed — will face one other stiff take a look at Sunday in Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has additionally confronted his share of struggles this season. Over his previous 4 video games, Jackson has accomplished properly beneath 60% of his move makes an attempt with only one landing and three interceptions.
