Darius Slayton, Longest Tenured New York Giant, Released
Darius Slayton is no longer a New York Giant. The organization released the 29-year-old wide receiver Monday, the longest-tenured player on the team, a fifth-round pick from the 2019 draft class that also brought in Daniel Jones and Dexter Lawrence, six days before the Week 1 opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Slayton outlasted three head coaches, two general managers and the entire roster he came in with. Over seven seasons he caught 296 passes for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns, numbers that rank among the top 15 in franchise history at his position.
He played through a $36 million extension signed last offseason that makes his release costly, the Giants absorb $12.7 million in dead cap for 2026 and another $3 million in 2027, but save approximately $3.2 million in cap space.
The combination that ended it: Malik Nabers returning healthy from his knee injury, rookie Malachi Fields impressing all camp, Odell Beckham Jr. making the roster in a surprise move and double sports hernia surgery keeping Slayton out of the entire offseason program before a slow training camp pushed him to the bottom of the depth chart.
"Grateful for my time in NY," Slayton posted on X. "7 years a Giant nothing but love for one of the most prestigious organizations in the NFL. Excited to see what's next."
As a vested veteran he is not subject to waivers, a free agent immediately, available to any team before Sunday's games.
