It’s been a rough season for Darius Slay. The veteran Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback looked totally different on the field from last year, when he was a key part of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl win. However, that is not what caught fans’ attention. His brutal season in Pittsburgh might have led him to reconsider his life choices, following which he made a shocking confession about a lifestyle change.

Slay shared a post on his Instagram story that said “Never drank alcohol” with his image on it. But he wrote, “Very true lol it might change this offseason,” which suggested that he might have changed his mind about alcohol consumption.

Slay has always been vocal about choosing to never drink alcohol, not for any moral or religious reason, but simply because he didn’t want to. Earlier this year, in February, he explained his choice on the St. Brown Brothers podcast. He claimed that he never saw a good reason to start.

“Never no, not at my wedding, nothing. I mean, I just never had a reason to. The only thing I see people do is get drunk. All I hear is they throw up-I don’t like throwing up. They feel sick, they get hangovers, and everything else they talk about is just, you know, supposed to make things better.”

Slay previously hinted that staying sober was part of his secret to performing well, even as he got older. He basically suggested that while many players slow down in their 30s, his alcohol-free lifestyle was helping him stay at an elite level, even at 34.

That claim seemed true last year (2024), when he was a great player. Quarterbacks had a low 81.9 passer rating when throwing at him, and Pro Football Focus gave him a strong grade of 73.3. However, things have changed this season. His performance numbers have dropped, putting the Steelers in a tough position. The Steelers currently have a record of six wins and five losses.

Focusing on Slay’s position in the team, he has been targeted by opposing QBs 32 times. This has led to 23 catches, 322 yards gained, and three touchdowns. He also missed a significant 21.2% of his tackles. 

Regardless of his personal reasons, the main point is that the Steelers are still struggling as the season moves into Week 13, where they will face the Buffalo Bills.

Darius Slay’s honest take on not “playing the best” this 2025 season

The Steelers signed veteran cornerback Darius Slay back in March with high hopes. They gave the 34-year-old a one-year, $10 million deal, expecting him to fix their weak pass defense (secondary).

Unfortunately, things haven’t worked out as planned. Slay has actually become a major problem for the defense, which is now one of the worst in the entire NFL this season. His poor play has gotten so bad that Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin is now thinking about trading him. According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor:

“Slay was brought in to fix the secondary, but it hasn’t worked. He won a Super Bowl with the Eagles last year, but this season, he’s been a big part of the team’s problems—like missing tackles, bad communication, and being in the wrong spot.”

Slay himself admits he hasn’t been good enough.

“I ain’t been playing the best. But I’ve been playing decent. But I gotta, on my end, for sure play better,” Slay said.

Even though he’s 34, Slay feels he can still play at a top level. However, if his performance doesn’t quickly improve, the Steelers are likely to let him go after this season. Especially after the Steelers signed defender Asante Samuel Jr. to a contract, elevating him from the practice squad on Saturday to replace LT Broderick Jones, who is on IR. 

Samuel Jr. will now play this upcoming week 13’s game alongside cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr., James Pierre, and Darius Slay Jr.