Darius Slay on Matt Patricia in February at Super Bowl media day in Phoenix: “As a man, me and him just don’t get along. He’s a smart coach, he knows his X’s and O’s, but the disrespect is not what I’m with.”
Patricia on Slay on Thursday: “Man, I just gave him a big hug before I came in here.”
Things can change. People can change. And Slay and Patricia are pretty compelling evidence of that.
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Patricia, the Eagles’ newly promoted de facto defensive coordinator, met with the Philly media for the first time Thursday and talked at length about how he and Slay not only patched up their differences after the Eagles hired Patricia back in April but have actually grown close over the last eight months.
“It's really been awesome for me to be back around Slay and really have an unbelievable relationship,” Patricia said. “He's a great guy. He's super kind, super funny, he's very determined. He's everything that he is. And obviously, I’m just so appreciative of him and our conversation that we had in the spring and just, you know, just helping me. Honestly, he's helped me a lot, you know? Just kind of (helping me) get acclimated.”
Patricia was head coach of the Lions in 2018 and 2019, Slay’s last two years in Detroit – two Pro Bowl seasons.
Slay said their feud began when Patricia told Slay in 2018 he shouldn’t be working out with Aqib Talib and Richard Sherman because they were elite corners and Slay wasn’t.
Philadelphia Eagles
“He said I wasn't an elite corner and that I'm not in their category,” Slay told ESPN after he was traded to the Eagles in March 2020. “I was coming off an all-pro year, eight picks. That told me right there that he didn't have no respect for me.”
Slay went on to make Pro Bowls in 2021 and 2022 with the Eagles, but when Nick Sirianni hired Patricia as a defensive consultant in April, there were certainly plenty of eyebrows raised.
But Slay said the two had a healthy chat in the spring and put their differences behind them, and Patricia spoke glowingly about the five-time Pro Bowl corner on Thursday.
“Honestly, he's one of the guys I knew coming in the building and you know how it is, you go in a new building, you go someplace new and you're trying to learn people, you gravitate towards the ones you know,” he said. “And (he was) out there with arms open and trying to help me kind of fit in and feel comfortable, which I really am very grateful to him for.”
It’s easy to hold a grudge forever.
But Slay and Patricia were both better than that, and they’ve worked productively together so far this year. Patricia and Slay will spend more time together now that Patricia has replaced Sean Desai as de facto defensive coordinator.
“Look, as you go through life, you grow and you learn and hopefully improve and get better as a person,” Patricia said. “For me personally, where I was, whenever that was, I'm just trying to be a better person every day and I'm just really thankful to him for that.”
Slay said back at training camp Sirianni called him before hiring Patricia and asked if he’d be OK with it.
“I was like, ‘It’s cool with me because I want to do what’s best for the organization,’” he said. “Me and him talked man to man. We’ve got a great understanding. We both want to win, he’s here to help me get better, he wants to get better as a coach, so we’re in good hands right now.”
Before the Eagles opened the season against the Patriots in Foxboro – where Patricia coached under Bill Belichick from 2004 through 2017 and again in 2021 and 2022 – Slay pulled Patricia aside just to check on him before such an emotional game.
“Obviously, it was gonna be a little bit tough for me and he kind of was there and kind of made sure I was OK and that was awesome,” Patricia said.
“Look, everybody tries to grow as people and sit down and come together and go forward. And that's what's been really, really awesome and cool about it.
“And I love that. I don't think all of us are ever our most perfect selves for our entire lives. I don't think that has ever happened. So it's good for me to be able to come back and build some of those relationships the way that you really want them.”
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