The Giants made a notable move just days before their season opener against the Cowboys, cutting veteran wideout Darius Slayton.
Slayton, 29, had been the longest-tenured player on the roster and was due to make $13 million this season. New York selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he leaves after catching 296 of 522 targets for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns in a Giants uniform.
He was never a headline star in New York, but he carved out a real role as a dependable target. Over his Giants run, Slayton produced four seasons with at least 700 receiving yards and averaged 15 yards per catch. That kind of steady production is exactly why he figures to draw interest quickly.
His final season, though, was his quietest. In 14 games, he finished with 37 catches on 63 targets for 538 yards and one touchdown. Over the final six games of the 2025 season, he topped 50 receiving yards only once.
Even with that dip, Slayton looks like the kind of receiver another team will circle back to fast. He was a former team captain, has a track record of doing the dirty work as a complementary piece, and brings enough reliability to matter in the right room.
Several teams stand out as possible fits.
The Colts jump off the page first. They still have Alec Pierce, but they moved Michael Pittman to the Steelers in the offseason, and they recently added veteran Keenan Allen, who was arrested late last month for suspected DUI. At minimum, Slayton would give Indianapolis another body at a position where depth is badly needed.
The Jets also make plenty of sense. Garrett Wilson is the clear centerpiece, but New York could use help around him. Slayton would add experience and could ease some of the burden on Omar Cooper Jr., the 30th overall pick in April’s draft, as he adjusts to the NFL.
New Orleans has a need too after rookie first-round pick Jordyn Tyson landed on injured reserve with a right hamstring injury suffered during a joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tyson is expected to miss about two months. That leaves rookie fourth-round pick Bryce Lance lined up to start with Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele, and Slayton could take some pressure off Lance while giving second-year quarterback Tyler Shough another option.
San Francisco is another logical stop. The 49ers signed Buccaneers legend Mike Evans and re-signed Deebo Samuel after losing Jauan Jennings to the Vikings in free agency and dealing with the ongoing absence of Brandon Aiyuk, who appears to have played his final down with the team, if not in the NFL.
Then Ricky Pearsall went on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury. Slayton would add depth and help round out the offense.
The Patriots also fit. Mike Vrabel recently acknowledged the team is not very deep, and New England just saw Kayshon Boutte go to the Houston Texans in a trade.
Slayton could help soften that loss, while also easing the load on A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs and giving Drake Maye another proven target.
Dallas would be an interesting one, too, even with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens already in place. In a pass-heavy offense, another veteran receiver would not hurt. And because the Cowboys open against the Giants in Week 1, they could also have an extra reason to kick the tires: Slayton could offer some intel on new Giants coach John Harbaugh’s offense.
Tennessee rounds out the list, and the fit is pretty clean. The Titans need help at receiver, and Slayton would reunite with offensive coordinator and former Giants coach Brian Daboll in Nashville. Two of Slayton’s best seasons came during Daboll’s time in New York, which only adds to the appeal.
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The move that stands out most is on the other side of the ball, where the Colts waived cornerback Jaylon Jones, a two-year starter for the team before this latest shake-up. Tenuta brings prior NFL stops with the Bills, Packers and Cardinals, but Jones departure adds a layer of intrigue because it trims from a position group that has mattered for Indianapolis, and it leaves one more roster question hanging as the team sorts out what it wants its secondary to look like next. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Secondary Draws Fresh Scrutiny Right Before The Opener
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The bigger issue for Indianapolis is the timing. Taylor-Britt is already set to miss the opener because of a separate suspension tied to a violation of the leagues personal conduct policy, leaving the Colts to sort out their back end without one of its most recognizable defenders. For a unit trying to settle in before the games start counting, the added fines only underscore how little margin there is for error. [Read more 🡒]