New York Giants Release Wide Receiver Darius Slayton

The New York Giants are releasing the longest-tenured player on their roster, wide receiver Darius Slayton.

Slayton was entering the second year of a three-year, $36 million deal. He was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has had a great seven-year career with New York, hauling in 296 receptions for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns.

In the 2025 season, Slayton had a solid year, finishing with 37 receptions for 538 yards and a touchdown.

The 29-year-old wide receiver has been a quality weapon in the receiving room for the Giants, but they will now rely on the rest of their offensive pieces to maximize the offense around quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Malik Nabers will lead the way for New York, as he had a phenomenal rookie season in 2024, catching 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. He was off to a solid start in the 2025 season, finishing with 18 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns in four games before going down with a torn ACL.

The 23-year-old will return from his injury in 2026 and be the focal point of the Giants' offense. Outside of Nabers, they will lean on Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, and Odell Beckham Jr. to be the top weapons for the Giants.

Mooney was a free-agent acquisition by New York after he had 32 receptions for 443 yards and a touchdown in 2025 for the Atlanta Falcons. Fields is a rookie wideout who could be impactful for the Giants. 

Beckham Jr. is the most intriguing of the receivers, as he used to be a star, but has struggled with injuries. However, he didn't play in the 2025 season and could be a quality piece for New York.

Across his career, the 33-year-old has hauled in 575 receptions for 7,987 yards and 59 touchdowns. 

The Giants have a lot of question marks in the receiver room, and releasing Slayton ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys is a questionable move. For New York to be successful, they will need Mooney, Fields, or Beckham Jr. to step up.