New York Giants leading wide receiver Darius Slayton firmly held his ground this offseason in hopes of getting a favorable contract extension from the franchise, but a recent report reveals that he was not ready to jump ship at the first sign of trouble.
Pat Leonard of The New York Daily News shared this quote from Slayton, who admitted that teams desired his services following the 2023 campaign before he ultimately re-committed to the Giants:
Giants’ Darius Slayton chose not to parlay 2023 output in a trade request this offseason
Slayton carried the mantle for the Giants’ receiving game, leading the team with 770 receiving yards on 15.4 yards per reception in 2023. He also came away with four touchdown grabs on the campaign. That helped him handle the business side of things, earning an additional $650,000 in incentives on top of the $6.2 million he’s due for the final year of his contract in 2024, which the Giants restructured back in May.
The 27-year-old wideout, smack dab in the midst of his prime, recently came out prior to these unveiled remarks and declared that he should be primed for his first 1,000-yard season in 2024, which he said will require at least 100 targets to put in motion.
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Will Slayton see 100 targets in 2024 and not regret staying in New York?
That desired level of attention will be a tough sell to Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who has three other talented receivers in rookie Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt that will require targets as well. All of the aforementioned will also be looking to take the next step in their careers next season and Nabers is expected as the Giants’ new No. 1 guy from here on out.
Another NFL team may have given Slayton the chance to earn an excess of 100 targets in 2024, even as a WR2, but what’s done is done now. The Auburn product has his mind set on football and is looking forward to having a career-defining year in the upcoming campaign. The Giants will need him to translate his passion and confidence into winning play on the field next time out.
