Giants Release Longest-Tenured Player Darius Slayton Six Days Before Season Opener

The New York Giants released wide receiver Darius Slayton on Monday, September 7, cutting the team's longest-tenured player six days before their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Multiple outlets including the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, and NorthJersey.com's Art Stapleton via Yahoo Sports reported the move.

Slayton, 29, was a fifth-round pick out of Auburn in the 2019 draft, the same class that brought quarterback Daniel Jones and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to East Rutherford. He outlasted three head coaches and two general managers before John Harbaugh's arrival this offseason. With his release, left tackle Andrew Thomas becomes the Giants' longest-tenured player, according to NorthJersey.com.

The Money

The cap numbers reported across outlets vary slightly but tell the same basic story: the Giants save money this year and pay for it later. Sports Illustrated reported Slayton was due to count $15.911 million against the cap in 2026, with $9.749 million of his $12.25 million base salary guaranteed, and that the release saves the team $3.161 million while creating $12.749 million in dead money this year and $3 million more in 2027. NorthJersey.com put the savings at $3.2 million with $12.7 million in dead cap for 2026 and another $3 million in 2027. Fox News and WFMD cited a $15.9 million cap hit with roughly $3 million in savings. A report from bettorsinsider put the cap relief at $3.6 million. The dead-money hit stems from the three-year, $36 million extension Slayton signed in 2025, per Sports Illustrated. It's unclear whether his contract contains offset language that could reduce the Giants' liability if he signs elsewhere for the veteran minimum, which NorthJersey.com pegged at $1.3 million.

The Football Case

Slayton finished his Giants tenure with 296 receptions for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns, ranking among the top 15 players in franchise history in both categories, according to Sports Illustrated and bettorsinsider. His best season came as a rookie in 2019, when he caught 48 passes for 740 yards and 8 touchdowns, per Fox News and WFMD. He never topped four touchdowns in any season after that.

Outlets differ on his exact 2025 production. Newsweek reported Slayton caught 37 passes for 538 yards and a touchdown last season, ranking second on the team in receiving yards. Sports Illustrated put the number at 63 catches for the same 538 yards, also noting he failed to become the primary target after Malik Nabers went down with a season-ending ACL injury. Both outlets agree on the yardage total and on the broader trend: his production had leveled off even as drops continued to dog his reputation with Giants fans, a recurring theme across Fox News, WFMD, and Newsweek's coverage.

Slayton missed most of the offseason program after undergoing double sports hernia surgery, according to NorthJersey.com, which left him behind entering training camp. Sports Illustrated reported his preseason was similarly rocky: four catches on six targets for 58 yards against Miami despite 82 snaps, followed by what NorthJersey.com described as "zeroes across the board" in extended playing time against the Jets in the preseason finale.

A Crowded Room

The Giants overhauled their receiver corps this offseason, adding Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III in free agency, drafting Malachi Fields in the third round, and bringing back Odell Beckham Jr., who made the 53-man roster, according to Fox News and WFMD. Austin suffered a season-ending injury during training camp. With Fields locked into a roster spot and Nabers, per NorthJersey.com, on track to play Week 1 following ACL and meniscus surgery, the depth chart left little room for Slayton, whose role had shrunk to what NorthJersey.com called "glue guy" duty rather than a guaranteed role.

Sports Illustrated reported that ESPN's Adam Schefter had indicated trade interest in Slayton over the summer, and bettorsinsider reported the Giants were actively shopping him before ultimately releasing him outright. As a vested veteran, Slayton is not subject to waivers and is immediately a free agent. Bettorsinsider named the Indianapolis Colts as an early possible destination, given the team's need for depth behind Alec Pierce after trading away Michael Pittman Jr., though it cautioned any signing would be need-driven rather than tied to Slayton's past history with Daniel Jones.

Slayton addressed the move on X: "Grateful for my time in NY. 7 years a Giant nothing but love for one of the most prestigious organizations in the NFL. Excited to see what's next."

The Giants open their season Sunday night against the Cowboys with a receiver room now built around Nabers' health, Beckham's return, Mooney, and rookie Malachi Fields. Whether Slayton lands with a new team before that kickoff, and whether his contract's offset language ends up trimming the Giants' dead-money bill, remain open questions as of Monday's roster move.