The New York Giants are in danger of losing one of their top playmakers this offseason. Veteran WR Darius Slayton has been with the team since 2019 but is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Despite his diminished value in the eyes of the Giants, Slayton could have a vast market of suitors.
Darius Slayton expects to receive plenty of interest in free agency
Free agency kicks off next week. The Giants have not gotten a deal done with Slayton yet, and the 28-year-old wide receiver seems interested in testing the market. Slayton recently discussed the upcoming free agency period, stating that he and his agents are expecting to receive plenty of interest from teams around the league:
“When you look at that, my ability to stretch the field becomes more valuable because that leads to shorter drives, one-play touchdowns. You need chunk plays to score in this league,” Slayton said on the Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast, via the New York Daily News. “We know we have a lot of interest out there. And when free agency opens up, we’ll have a lot of different conversations to have with a lot of different people.”
Slayton has led the Giants in receiving yards in four of the six seasons of his career, totaling at least 720 receiving yards in each of those four team-leading campaigns. Despite the production he has had in New York, Slayton seems intent on finding a new home for the 2025 season.
It doesn’t seem like Slayton wants to return to the Giants
The Giants have been among the worst teams in the NFL for the entirety of the start of Slayton’s career. The losing has taken its toll. Slayton is determined to play for a winner in 2025 (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com):
“Definitely, winning and being in an advantageous situation are probably two things that are really important for me right now,” Slayton said. “Obviously, five out of my six years with the Giants, we weren’t competitive. We didn’t make the playoffs. We weren’t really close to making the playoffs.
“And one thing I’ve learned in my career is … You play with guys that have [the attitude of] ‘If I go off and I get paid, I sleep great at night.’ And I have learned over my career that I do want to go off and I do want to get paid. But it weighs on me so heavy just losing. Every. Single. Week. I can’t take [it]. Like, there’s no money that’s gonna make me just go home and be like — I’m obviously gonna be a little more happy in my Hellcat than in a Camry — but like my spirit, the core of me cannot take that.”
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The Giants aren’t necessarily a team that will be positioned to win in 2025. They are coming off a 3-14 season and are expected to draft a rookie quarterback this offseason. Those two factors indicate that their roster is a long way off from competing and that they are going to take their time to build around a young signal-caller.
Considering where the Giants are in their rebuild, and where Slayton is in his career, the two parties seem destined for divorce this offseason. Plenty of teams will be interested in Slayton’s deep receiving abilities. Meanwhile, the Giants need to prepare for his possible departure and seek a capable replacement.
