The Detroit Lions are riding high in 2025, but it wasn’t always this way. Longtime fans remember the Matt Patricia era for all the wrong reasons — and now, former Lion Jason Cabinda is shedding new light on one of the biggest culture breakdowns during those years.
Cabinda recently shared a story that many say marked the moment Patricia lost the team — and it centers around a now-infamous incident with star cornerback Darius Slay.
According to Cabinda, Patricia took issue with Slay after seeing him joking around with Odell Beckham Jr. during a joint practice. What happened next left the locker room stunned. Patricia compiled a video reel showing Beckham torching Slay in practice and then aired it in a team meeting for everyone to see.
“That’s when he lost the locker room,” Cabinda said bluntly.
Slay has talked about this before — and it wasn’t just a one-time slight. Back in 2018, Patricia reportedly told Slay he wasn’t “elite” shortly after an All-Pro season. Then came the highlight video moment, where Patricia publicly mocked Slay and used a profane analogy to drive home his point.
Slay’s response? That’s when all respect went “out the door.”
In an ironic twist, Patricia and Slay later crossed paths again in Philadelphia in 2023. This time, as grown men and professionals, they talked things out. Slay said he was open to reconciliation for the good of the team — and the two even shared a hug at the Eagles’ facility. “He’s a whole different dude than he was in Detroit,” Slay admitted.
But make no mistake: that moment in Detroit stuck with players. And as Cabinda’s story makes the rounds, it only reinforces how toxic things had become under Patricia — and how far the Lions have come under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.
This isn’t just about bad leadership. It’s a reminder that in the NFL, respect isn’t optional. It’s earned — and just as easily lost. Luckily for Lions fans, those days are gone, and the culture in Detroit has never been stronger.
“He Lost the Locker Room”: Jason Cabinda Exposes Matt Patricia’s Disrespect Toward Darius Slay
