Oct 16, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Darius Slay (23) reacts after failing to intercept a pass thrown by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium. Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Bills' Sean McDermott gets testy when asked about Darius Slay again

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Ralph Ventre | Last updated Dec 10, 2025 6:50 PM ET

By the sound of Buffalo Bills' head coach Sean McDermott, cornerback Darius Slay won't be in Orchard Park anytime soon, if ever.

After being claimed off waivers by the Bills, Slay refused to report to the team. As a result, Buffalo moved the 34-year-old cornerback onto the reserve/did not report list, subsequently filling that roster spot by adding safety Darnell Savage.

As the Bills prepare to visit the New England Patriots in a pivotal Week 15 matchup, McDermott fielded a question about Slay's status prior to Wednesday's practice.

"No. If there is [an update], I don't have it. That's more of a [general manger] Brandon [Beane] question," said McDermott.

A follow-up question was met with even greater opposition from the head coach.

"You talking about Darius Slay? Yea, I'm not gonna answer questions about Darius Slay, respectfully. That's a question for Brandon. I'm focused on our current team and this game this week," said McDermott.

Watch McDermott's answer

Slay's public statement

Appearing on the Speakeasy podcast last week, Slay voiced his opposition to moving to Buffalo at this stage in his career.

"It wasn’t a bad fit, it just caught me at a bad time," said Slay.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

McDermott miffed by losing CB

Exposing cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram to waivers by creating a roster spot for Slay, the Houston Texans stepped in and claimed the Bills' trusted backup. While declining to talk about Slay, McDermott revealed gratitude for Ingram's service to the team.

"It’s unfortunate that that unfolded and went down the way it did. I'm a huge JaMarcus Ingram fan and will always be," said McDermott.