Report: Darius Slay undergoes surgery, out for Eagles vs. Seahawks
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay underwent knee surgery this week and will miss Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“Eagles’ CB Darius Slay underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this week and will be out Monday night vs. the Seahawks, but he is expected back by the end of the regular season, per sources,” Schefter wrote on Twitter.
Slay’s absence will be the latest challenge for the Eagles’ secondary which was tested against the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys in the last two games.
In 12 games this year, Slay has 57 total tackles, 48 solo tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, 14 pass deflections and one pick-six.
“(Nick) Sirianni would not say who would start in Slay’s place,” PHYL’s Zach Berman tweeted. “He said he likes the Eagles’ options, including Kelee Ringo, Josh Jobe, and Eli Ricks. If Ringo gets the start, would be a meaningful opportunity for him.
“He’s from the Seattle area and grew up going to Seahawks practices/games. He planned to have family/friends in the stands for his homecoming.”
Darius Slay out, Eagles DC Sean Desai under fire
Sean Desai is in his first year as defensive coordinator for the Eagles after spending the 2022 season in Seattle as the Seahawks’ associate head coach and defensive assistant. Now, it’ll get harder without Slay in the lineup
He replaced Jonathan Gannon, who is now the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
“We’ve been punched in the mouth two weeks in a row. Let’s be honest,” Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “We got punched in the mouth two weeks in a row. We got a little blood dripping from our lip. But the thing about this team is we’ll get it stitched up, get all the corrections and now we have a little bit more time to think about it.”
Can the Eagles turn it around? It might take a total team effort against the Seahawks on Monday night. After that, the Eagles get the New York Giants twice and the Cardinals in between.
Maybe Desai will finally flip the script after a brutal stretch.
“I think the biggest thing for this team now is really find out who the dudes are,” Cox said. “And that’s always the case. And I’ve been part of teams where the dudes in the locker room do something about it. And I’ve been a part of the team where you know, it kind of crumbles. But now it’s time to see the real leadership. The real players. The guys that’s elite on this team, myself included, step up and do something about it. Get this team another win.”