3 Reasons Eagles star Darius Slay will make a second-consecutive Pro Bowl

Let’s not forget that we’re influenced by brands and what other people are saying.

Playing cornerback in the NFL can be a tough gig. Nine great plays can come in succession. The tenth, if a failure by the man in coverage, will wind up being the only thing people talk about. Conversely, guys who make big plays can sometimes be given the benefit of the doubt for not being as consistent on a play-by-play basis.

In other words, guys can sometimes be valued as being better than they are if they take two or three picks back to the house. With Slay, you get the best of both worlds, game-changing plays and consistency on every down played. So yes, the highlights will come, but that won’t be the only reason Slay makes the Pro Bowl. Here are two others.

2. Name recognition

Slay isn’t just a fan favorite of the legions of loyal Birds fans. He was a star in Detroit before making his way to the City of Brotherly Love.

Say what you will, but name recognition matters as Pro Bowl voting can sometimes mirror popularity contests among casual fans and die-hard fans of some of the league’s most popular teams. People tend to vote for guys that they’ve heard of.

Slay’s name will carry some buzz all season, as will the names of several of his teammates.

3. The Eagles are one of the biggest brands in all of sports.

The NFC East has sometimes been referred to as the ‘NFC Least’. It’s also known as the NFL’s ‘Money Division’. With four of the most popular brands in all of professional sports playing in-house (the New York Giants, the Washington Commanders, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Eagles), league offices love when these teams are competitive. They also try to get interdivisional games on national television as often as possible.

The Eagles will play in primetime five times. They’ll be on the national stage at least one other time as they’re scheduled to meet the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Eve. That means more exposure for the franchise and more exposure for Big Play Slay. If this team wins, many of its best players will make football’s all-star squad, Darius Slay included.