The Buffalo Bills have needed a bit of a jolt during the 2025 NFL season, particularly on the defensive side of the football. When the Pittsburgh Steelers released veteran cornerback Darius Slay, Brandon Beane made the smart move to put in a waiver claim for him, and the Bills were awarded his rights.
Finally, Buffalo had some reinforcements in the secondary. Except for the fact that Slay announced his intention not to report to the Bills upon being claimed. This threw the fan base for quite a loop, as it is fairly unprecedented for a player to just shun a team he was claimed by.
Slay's agent did some damage control, stating that Slay was honored that the Bills wanted him, but he needed to contemplate whether or not he even wanted to play football anymore. Then, Slay said it was just bad timing, as he is too old and Buffalo is too cold to warrant a move.
Bills place Darius Slay on reserve/did not report list, will retain rights
Buffalo was in a bit of a pickle here, as there was no manual for navigating this uncharted territory. Well, on Friday, the Bills finally made a decision, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Buffalo will place Slay on the reserve/did not report list, but they will retain his rights.
It may seem a bit petty for the Bills to do this, but it was their only choice, and it was an obvious one. If Beane granted Slay his wish, there was a non-zero chance that he would have just ended up back on the Philadelphia Eagles, or worse yet, another AFC contender gunning for a Super Bowl.
Clearly, Beane and Co. respect Slay as a player, and that is precisely why they put in a claim for him. But that is also why they are not particularly keen on just letting him walk out the door and getting nothing in return.
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Maxwell Hairston is going through the typical bumps and bruises for a rookie, Tre'Davious White's coming home tour hasn't borne much great fruit, Dorian Strong is on the Injured Reserve and Ja'Marcus Ingram is now with the Houston Texans.
Outside of Taron Johnson and Christian Benford, the Bills just don't have much at cornerback, and that's why Slay would have been a tremendous addition. But you can't force a guy to play for a team he doesn't want to anymore, and if Slay's heart was never going to be in it, then good riddance.
Some may feel that it is embarrassing for Buffalo that a veteran player doesn't want a spot on the team, as he'd seemingly rather contemplate retirement than suit up for the Bills. But this is more of an indictment of Slay and where he is currently in his life and his NFL career.