The New York Giants released wide receiver Darius Slayton on Monday, ending his seven-year run as the longest-tenured player on the roster. The move clears more than $3 million in salary-cap space for 2026 and additional room in 2027.
Slayton, a fifth-round pick out of Auburn in 2019, leaves New York with 296 receptions for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns. He led the team in receiving yards four times, in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023, and reached at least 500 receiving yards in six of his seven seasons.
The Giants signed Slayton to a three-year, $36 million extension before last season. He was due $13 million in 2026 with $9.75 million guaranteed. Cutting him now, rather than after Week 1, prevented additional salary from becoming fully guaranteed and saves the team an estimated $13 million combined over the next two seasons.
Why the Giants moved on
Coach John Harbaugh’s staff had already begun shifting snaps away from Slayton before the decision became final. He underwent core muscle surgery in the spring, and the receiver room filled up around him. New York signed Darnell Mooney in free agency, added Odell Beckham Jr. on a veteran minimum deal in the spring, and is expecting rookie Malik Nabers back as the offense’s centerpiece for Week 1. Third-round rookie Malachi Fields also pushed into the rotation during camp.
The Giants tried to trade Slayton before releasing him but did not find a partner willing to take on the remaining money, according to reporting on the move. He is now an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.
Slayton addressed the release on social media. “Grateful for my time in NY,” he wrote. “7 years a Giant nothing but love for one of the most prestigious organizations.”
What it means for the offense
Beckham is expected to work in regular rotation and sub packages rather than as a full-time starter, according to Harbaugh. That leaves Nabers, Mooney and Fields as the receivers likely to see the most snaps once Nabers is cleared to play, with tight end Isaiah Likely adding another receiving option in the passing game.
The release follows the Giants’ initial cutdown to 53 players in late August, when the team waived eight players including cornerback Ugo Amadi and wide receivers Isaiah Hodgins and Kobe Prentice ahead of the league-wide deadline. Slayton’s departure is a separate, in-season move made after that roster was already set.
Sources · ESPN · A to Z Sports · Giants.com
