If the Tennessee Titans are looking to patch up their banged-up secondary, a familiar name just hit the open market. The Pittsburgh Steelers waived veteran cornerback Darius Slay on Tuesday, opening the door-at least theoretically-for a potential reunion with Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who coached Slay during their time together in Philadelphia.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
The Titans’ cornerback situation heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Jaguars was, in a word, thin. Jalyn Armour-Davis was ruled out with an Achilles injury, leaving Tennessee with just four healthy corners on the 53-man roster.
One of those was Kaiir Elam, who had only been with the team for a matter of days. That’s not exactly the kind of depth you want heading into a divisional game-especially one against a quarterback like Trevor Lawrence.
Oddly enough, the Titans had just released Samuel Womack III earlier in the week, a move that raised some eyebrows given the timing. With the roster stretched thin, Wilson had to get creative.
That meant shifting Marcus Harris-who had been playing inside-to the outside, and sliding safety Kevin Winston Jr. into the nickel role. Meanwhile, Elam and fellow waiver-wire pickup Micah Robinson were essentially emergency options, not trusted enough to see meaningful snaps.
The results? Predictably rough.
Lawrence had one of his cleaner outings of the season, completing 16 of 27 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over. The Jaguars cruised to a 25-3 win, and Tennessee’s patchwork secondary struggled to hold the line. Harris and Winston both looked out of place in their new roles, and the Titans’ defensive backfield never really found its footing.
Now, back to Slay.
The 34-year-old corner is no longer the All-Pro he once was, but he’s still a savvy veteran with plenty of experience-and, importantly, a strong connection to Wilson. During their two seasons together in Philadelphia (2021-22), Slay played some of his best football, and there’s no doubt Wilson knows how to get the most out of him.
Still, this isn’t a plug-and-play situation. Slay was a healthy scratch in Pittsburgh before being waived, and at this stage of his career, he’s likely looking to join a team with a shot at the postseason. The Titans, sitting at 1-11, don’t exactly fit that profile.
Even if Slay were open to the idea, the Titans may not be. With five games left in a lost season, Tennessee is firmly in evaluation mode. This is the time to see what young players can do-not to bring in a 34-year-old stopgap who probably won’t be part of the picture in 2026.
There’s a case to be made for adding a steady veteran presence to stabilize a struggling unit, but the Titans are clearly focused on the long game. And that likely means passing on a short-term fix-even one with a familiar face and a proven track record.
Bottom line: Slay’s availability is interesting, and the connection to Wilson is real. But given where the Titans are right now, it’s hard to see this as a match that makes sense for either side.