Two of the Detroit Lions best defensive players, cornerback Darius Slay and defensive tackle Damon Harrison, are skipping this week’s mandatory minicamp, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter Tuesday.
Neither player has shown up for offseason workouts throughout this spring and have made it known they would like adjustments to their current contracts. By skipping minicamp, both could end up being fined up to $88,650 by the Lions.
Slay has been a constant in the secondary for the Lions since earning a full-time starting role in 2014, his second season in the league. He’s made two Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2017. With Glover Quin being cut by Detroit, Slay is also one of the senior players in the secondary.
He has two years left on the four-year extension he signed in 2016. He is scheduled to make $12.55 million in base salary this season and $10 million next season, the final year of his contract. By skipping offseason workouts, he’s already forfeited much of the $250,000 bonus that was worked into his deal.
Slay has also been vocal about wanting a new deal on social media — often retweeting messages that suggest he should get paid and about how contracts are handled.
They don’t keep their words when they cut us while we in our contracts … https://t.co/EqsDXgAJ93
— Darius Slay (@_bigplayslay23) May 22, 2019
Harrison was traded to the Lions from the New York Giants last season and, like Slay, has two years left on his current contract. He’s scheduled to make $6.75 million in base salary this season and $9 million next season. Like Slay, he’s also forfeited almost all of his $250,000 workout bonus by skipping the voluntary offseason workouts earlier this spring.
When the Lions traded for Harrison, it shored up the club’s run defense, and he’s now become an anchor on the club’s revamped defensive line, along with free-agent signing Trey Flowers.
During his time as general manager, Bob Quinn has never extended a player or given them a new contract with two years remaining on their deals. Slay will be 30 years old when his current deal expires and Harrison will be 32.
Messages seeking comment to the agent for both players, Drew Rosenhaus, were not returned to ESPN.