The Eagles plan on releasing cornerback Darius Slay, and if this is truly the last stop for the six-time Pro Bowl cornerback in Philadelphia, the next step is replacing the veteran mentor and his still stellar play on the field.
At 34 and set to turn 35 on New Year’s Day 2026 when the Eagles are projected by most to be getting ready for a fifth consecutive postseason appearance, moving on from Slay conjures up the personnel cliche of it being better to give up on a player a year early than a year too late.
The timing seems right as well because the Eagles have a host of young in-house options waiting in the wings.
Here are the three most likely paths Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and secondary coach Christian Parker will explore to replace a player who was still one of the steadiest outside CBs in the NFL during Year 12.
THROW KELEE RINGO IN THE DEEP END
Ringo will be entering his third season and has quietly developed into one of the best gunners and vice players in the league on special teams.
At 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds with impressive length, physicality and 4.36 speed, Ringo has all the physical traits you could possibly need to excel outside the numbers.
The missing pieces are the kind of savviness that defined Slay and the technique to handle the league’s top receivers. Fangio did not feel Ringo was ready for the CB3 role last season, instead relying on the undersized Isaiah Rodgers, who is set to become a free agent on March 12.
