Behind the Scenes of Detroit Lions’ Drama: Jason Cabinda and Amani Oruwariye Open Up About Matt Patricia and Darius Slay Fallout
The Detroit Lions’ locker room has witnessed its fair share of drama over the years, but one of the most talked-about conflicts in recent memory revolves around former head coach Matt Patricia, star cornerback Darius Slay, and the larger dynamic of the team’s struggles during Patricia’s tenure. Jason Cabinda and Amani Oruwariye, two former Lions players, have provided valuable insights into the toxic atmosphere that permeated the team during those challenging years, offering a first-hand perspective on the issues between Patricia and Slay.
Patricia’s tenure as head coach, which lasted from 2018 to 2020, was marked by disappointment and constant internal friction. His authoritative coaching style and strict demeanor clashed with several players, and the tension between Patricia and Slay was one of the more notable issues. While Patricia had a reputation for being tough and demanding, it was his inability to connect with players, especially those like Slay, that led to a series of disagreements and a breakdown in communication.
Jason Cabinda, who joined the Lions in 2020, was part of the squad that dealt with the remnants of this drama. As a linebacker with a strong work ethic, Cabinda was one of the few players who thrived in the environment. However, even he couldn’t escape the palpable tension that existed between Patricia and several of the team’s more established players, including Slay. Cabinda, who had come from a different football culture in college, shared that Patricia’s authoritarian approach left many players feeling alienated and undervalued, including Slay, one of the league’s top cornerbacks at the time.
Amani Oruwariye, who was drafted by the Lions in 2019, entered a locker room already filled with drama and division. As a young, developing player, Oruwariye quickly realized the effects of Patricia’s leadership style. The tension between Patricia and Slay was particularly evident to him, and he found himself caught in the middle. Oruwariye and Cabinda both recalled instances where the team’s issues with Patricia became a topic of conversation during meetings and in informal settings. According to both players, it was clear that Patricia’s treatment of certain star players was part of the reason for the fractured team dynamic.
The conflict with Slay started early in Patricia’s tenure when the head coach sought to implement a new defensive system that didn’t always align with Slay’s style of play. Slay, a highly talented cornerback who had been one of the few bright spots on the Lions’ defense for years, was outspoken about his disagreements with Patricia’s schemes. His outspoken nature, once seen as a strength, now became a source of friction between him and Patricia, who valued discipline and a more rigid approach to the game. Slay’s reluctance to fully buy into Patricia’s system was perceived as insubordination, and the relationship between the two soured.
Jason Cabinda recalled how Slay’s frustration was evident to everyone on the team. Slay, who had been the cornerstone of the Lions’ defense for so long, had grown increasingly disillusioned with Patricia’s inability to understand and utilize his skills. Patricia’s constant criticism of Slay in front of the team only served to alienate the star cornerback further. According to Cabinda, the locker room was split on how to handle the situation, with some players siding with Slay, while others were more inclined to support the head coach. This division created a toxic atmosphere that made it difficult for the Lions to focus on winning games.
Amani Oruwariye, a young defensive back at the time, saw firsthand how the situation played out. Oruwariye had heard stories about Slay’s leadership and dominance on the field, but he quickly realized that Patricia’s treatment of Slay had a major impact on the entire defense. Oruwariye described how the tension between Slay and Patricia affected the team’s morale and made it difficult for players to buy into the overall defensive scheme. Players were more concerned with the drama in the locker room than with executing the game plan, which ultimately led to subpar performance on the field.
Slay, who had been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, was also one of the few players on the team who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. His public comments about Patricia, both in the media and in private conversations, added fuel to the fire. Slay’s frustrations boiled over in 2019 when he openly criticized Patricia’s defensive schemes and the lack of communication between the coaching staff and players. Patricia, known for his no-nonsense approach, responded by publicly calling out Slay for not being a “team player.” This public back-and-forth only deepened the divide between the two and made it increasingly difficult for the Lions to function as a cohesive unit.
Cabinda and Oruwariye both noted that Slay’s departure from the Lions following the 2019 season was inevitable. The relationship between Slay and Patricia had deteriorated to a point where there was no way for the two to coexist. Slay was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2020, marking the end of his tumultuous time in Detroit. Both Cabinda and Oruwariye believed that the situation could have been handled better, but Patricia’s inability to resolve conflicts with his players ultimately led to the breakdown of one of the franchise’s best defensive players.
For Oruwariye, the departure of Slay was a turning point in his own career. As a young cornerback, Oruwariye had looked up to Slay as a mentor, but with Slay gone, Oruwariye was forced to take on a more prominent role in the Lions’ defense. He acknowledged that the absence of Slay left a leadership void, and it was clear that Patricia’s departure after the 2020 season couldn’t come soon enough for many of the players. Oruwariye expressed that the team struggled to find a new sense of identity under Patricia, and that the toxic atmosphere left by the drama with Slay had a long-lasting impact on the team’s performance and chemistry.
Looking back, both Cabinda and Oruwariye seemed to agree that the drama surrounding Patricia and Slay was a significant factor in the Lions’ inability to succeed during Patricia’s tenure. The internal conflict within the team, exacerbated by Patricia’s leadership style, hindered their ability to work together as a unit. While there were flashes of potential, the lack of cohesion and the fractured relationships with key players ultimately led to a period of underachievement.
For Cabinda, the experience with Patricia reinforced the importance of strong communication between coaches and players. He expressed that a coach must be able to connect with players on a personal level to foster trust and unity. Unfortunately, Patricia’s inability to do this with Slay and other players ultimately led to a breakdown in their relationship and the team’s overall performance.
As for Oruwariye, the lessons learned from the drama between Patricia and Slay shaped his approach to his own career. He became more aware of the importance of maintaining a professional relationship with his coaches while also recognizing the need for mutual respect and understanding. Oruwariye, who eventually found success under new head coach Dan Campbell, emphasized how different the environment became after Patricia’s departure. The team started to rebuild, with a new sense of camaraderie and leadership that was previously missing under Patricia’s regime.
In the end, the fallout between Matt Patricia and Darius Slay became a defining chapter in the history of the Detroit Lions during the 2010s. It serves as a cautionary tale of how personal conflicts and poor leadership can derail a franchise. Both Jason Cabinda and Amani Oruwariye’s reflections on the situation provide a deeper understanding of the internal struggles the Lions faced during a challenging period. The drama between Patricia and Slay may have left lasting scars on the franchise, but it also served as a catalyst for change, helping the team move forward and eventually begin the process of rebuilding under new leadership.
