The Philadelphia Eagles bolstered their ailing secondary by acquiring cornerback Darius Slay in a trade with the Detroit Lions last week, and shortly after, the Eagles awarded him with a three-year, $50.5 million contract extension.
On top of that one year Slay already had left on his current deal, that means he will be making $60.55 million over the next five seasons.
While fellow cornerback Byron Jones inked a massive five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Miami Dolphins before the Slay extension, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes that Slay is actually now the highest-paid corner in the NFL.
Yes, Slay will be making $15.13 million annually over the next four years, which is a tick below the $16.5 million that Jones will be earning per year. However, when you just consider the extension, Slay will be earning $16.66 million.
Slay, who played his collegiate football at Mississippi State, was originally selected by the Lions in the second round (36th pick overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.
He became a full-time starter in his second season, playing in every game and finishing with 61 tackles, a couple of interceptions and 17 passes defended.
While Slay was regarded as a solid cornerback for his first several years in the league, he didn't truly earn recognition until 2017, when he made the Pro Bowl and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection.
Since then, the 29-year-old has made three straight Pro Bowl appearances overall and is now considered one of the top cornerbacks in football.
Given how brutal the Eagles' secondary was in 2019, Slay could be a godsend for Philadelphia's defense next season.
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