Eagles training camp: Darius Slay says he’s patched things up with Matt Patricia, resolved differences

Darius Slay did not see eye-to-eye with Matt Patricia during their two years together with the Detroit Lions. The relationship was about as rocky between a player and a head coach as one could get, one Slay would mention on several occasions since joining the Philadelphia Eagles three years ago. 

Those days have past. Slay admitted he and Patricia have patched things up, revealing the Eagles talked to the star cornerback before they decided to hire Patricia as a senior defensive assistant. 

“We talked about it during the offseason,” Slay said to reporters Friday. “They called me, and I was like, ‘It’s cool with me because I want to do what’s best for the organization.’ I always tell the guys, ‘We’re in a rented seat, nobody’s in this seat forever.’ So I said, ‘Y’all got to do what’s best for the organization,’ and they asked would I be cool with it. I said ‘yeah.'”

“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. It took a lot for both of us to talk.”

The relationship between Patricia and Slay was ugly. Patricia reportedly told Slay (back when they were with the Lions) that he had no business working out with fellow corner Aqib Talib and Richard Sherman because those players were elite and Slay was merely good. Slay also previously admitted that he lost all respect for the coach and even took a shot at him as recently as last February leading up to Super Bowl LVII. 

Those days are in the past. Both Slay and Patricia are on the same team and have the same goal. 

“We communicate every day, we talk every day, we’re just trying to build everything going forward. At the end of the day we want to win,” Slay said. “That’s his main goal and that’s my main goal, and we’re going to continue to keep building.”

As for mending the relationship? A sorry from either party wasn’t necessary. 

“There was no need to apologize,” Slay said. “We both talked it out as grown men. We respect each other enough to put everything to the side and just get better.” 

Slay can put the Patricia questions to bed. As for Patricia, he has yet to be made available by the Eagles — so his side of the story is still unknown. Regardless, both sides appear to be in a good place.