Ex-Lions Coach Matt Patricia Talks to Darius Slay 'Every Day'
It seems that former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay have put their differences aside.
Speaking with the media at training camp, the talented cornerback expressed that both he and Patricia have developed mutual respect for each other, and now are at the point where they communicate on a daily basis.
Recall, the former Patriots defensive coordinator alienated many of the Lions' best players during his failed tenure with draconian policies, including not allowing players to play music in the locker room and not building a positive working relationship.
In a recent feature in The Athletic, former Lions safety Quandre Diggs recalled how Patricia lost the locker room.
"Diggs and other players said they didn’t have a voice under Patricia," writes Michael-Shawn Dugar. "Multiple times Diggs privately addressed issues with the coach, including concerns about player safety after the team practiced in the snow ahead of warm-weather and indoor games. According to Diggs and several other players, Patricia rebuffed Diggs and then, in front of the team, groaned about players worrying about the weather."
Despite Patricia's efforts, Slay remained outspoken before being traded to the Eagles in 2022.
Now, the pair communicates on a regular basis and is looking ahead to the future.
"It took a lot for both of us to talk, so we did a great job,” he said. “We communicate every day, we talk every day," Slay said, via NBC Sports. "We’re just trying to build everything going forward, because at the end of the day, we want to win. That’s his main goal and that’s my main goal, and we’re going to continue to keep building.
“It’s a great understanding. We both talked it out as grown men. He’s a man, I’m a man, so we just handled it. We respect each other enough to put everything aside, and let’s move forward and get better.”
