Steelers' DeShon Elliott Sends Message to Darius Slay After Retirement

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Darius Slay has hung up his cleats for the last time, announcing his retirement from the National Football League.

While only spending a short time with the Steelers in 2025, Slay's impact was felt. As a veteran in the secondary, Slay helped Joey Porter Jr. continue his development into a CB1, and helped other young players like Cory Trice Jr., Donte Kent and Brandin Echols grow as well.

His impact was also felt by the veterans around him. One in particular was DeShon Elliott. After playing just five games with Slay, Elliott recognized the legend he was working with, after Slay's retirement announcement, shared a message to the NFL great before he left.

"Enjoy retirement OG," Elliott wrote on Instagram. "One of the realest."

DeShon Elliott sends message to Darius Slay after retirement #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/mveL9GoONR
— All Steelers Talk (@AllSteelersTalk) March 17, 2026

Slay's Retirement Announcement

The 13-year veteran announced his departure as a player in a social media post accompanied by a video including his six Pro Bowls with the Detroit Lions and Super Bowl championship with the Philadelphia Eagles.

"Dear football, I wanna thank you for all you’ve done for me," Slay wrote in his Instagram post. "I’ve been blessed to play the game I loved since I was 5yrs old for an amazing 13yrs at the highest level. Football was my peace, my joy, my everything. This game put me in a position to help take care of my family and loved ones and I’m forever grateful. It’s hard to say goodbye, but God has a new chapter for me and I’m ready to turn the page and start my new journey. To all my BigPlay fans, I will always appreciate the love and support y’all have given to me. I couldn’t have done it without you. Just A kid from Brunswick, GA with BIG dreams…✊🏽BigPlay on and off the field!We Out✌🏾"

The Steelers were not included in the video, but that didn't come as much of a surprise.

Slay's Time in Pittsburgh

Slay's time with the Steelers didn't go as planned, as the 35-year-old was eventually benched for James Pierre and dealt with multiple injuries prior to his release mid-season. The veteran came to Pittsburgh looking to be the team's starter on the outside next to Joey Porter Jr. He was to also provide depth on games when Jalen Ramsey was starting on the outside.

But the defense struggled and Slay's performance didn't match expectations throughout the year. Eventually, Pierre replaced him and took over as the starter, and after Slay became less and less of a piece of the defense, Pittsburgh moved on.

While his time with the team won't be remembered by many, his NFL career will. And after 13 years as an elite NFL cornerback, Slay is being recognized by his peers as he heads off into retirement.

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