Slay to wear No. 24 with Eagles in honor of Kobe Bryant
Darius Slay will change his jersey number from No. 23 to No. 24 when his journey with the Philadelphia Eagles begins this year. And the cornerback has one chief reason for adopting the new number.
Eagles CB Darius Slay says he will wear 24 with Eagles to honor Kobe Bryant. He is thrilled to join Eagles knowing it was Kobe’s favorite team
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) March 22, 2020
“I’m going Kobe mode. Black mamba. Rest in peace to the 🐐 One of my favorite players. I will look good in 24”
🎥 @_bigplayslay23 pic.twitter.com/d6Pmi14WUI
Kobe Bryant was a lifelong fan of his hometown Eagles, who traded for Slay on Thursday.
The Eagles sent the Detroit Lions a third-round pick and fifth-round pick in 2020 in exchange for Slay. They immediately signed the 29-year-old to a reported three-year, $50 million contract extension, making him the NFL's highest-paid cornerback, according to Spotrac.
Slay, who played seven seasons for Lions after they drafted him in 2013, has been a Pro Bowl selection in each of the last three seasons. His 13 interceptions since 2017 rank second in the NFL behind only the Tennessee Titans' Kevin Byard (17).