Darius Slay's wife Jennifer drops 1-word reaction to CB's performance vs Commanders
Darius Slay was not the most prolific defender on Thursday night, having just five tackles (two solo) and a pass breakup as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Washington Commanders 26-18 at home to solidify their lead in the NFC East. Nevertheless, his persistence in playing despite a recent ankle injury was enough to impress fans in attendance, including his wife Jennifer.
In an Instagram story posted during his tackle for loss on Austin Ekeler deep in enemy territory in the first quarter, she cheered:
"Slaaaaayyyyyy"
The Commanders would go three-and-out after that tackle – the third of four punts in that quarter.
Darius Slay sees himself being a proud "father" to Eagles' rookie CBs
Off the field, Darius Slay is known for having many children. He and Jennifer have a daughter Desirae; and a son, Desmond. He also has two sons, Darion and Demetrius, from a previous relationship; and a stepdaughter, Trent, from her own previous relationship.
But if Slay is asked about his best "parenting job", it has been towards rookie cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, who were both selected in consecutive rounds in this year's draft. Speaking to NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark ahead of last Sunday's 34-6 win at the Dallas Cowboys, Slay said:
“They are my children.”
Both players have been exceptional so far. Mitchell has become an immediate starter in James Bradberry's absence and become one of the best at forcing incompletions, fifth at the time of the Cowboys game. Against the Commanders, he held top Pro-Bowl wideout Terry McLaurin to a single 10-yard catch.
Meanwhile, DeJean is currently one of the Eagles' primary punt returners and has also impressed in his starts at nickelback (a third defensive back position usually lined up against the slot receiver). As of Thursday, he had a league-best PFF coverage grade of 85.9.
Praise has come not just from teammates, but from analysts as well, with ESPN's Mina Kimes tweeting:
"Between Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean, it looks like the Eagles could have a franchise-altering draft class on their hands."
Meanwhile, Clark's NBC Sports Philadelphia colleague Reuben Frank noted that the two, among other things, could become the first rookie defensive backs since the San Diego Chargers' Kenny Graham and Jimmy Warren in 1964 (before the AFL was absorbed into the NFL) to be part of a top 10 defense, should the Eagles continue playing so impressively.
Slay and Co. will be in action again on Sunday when they visit SoFi Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Rams.