Darius Slayton Ends Holdout After Receiving Adjusted Contract

Darius Slayton is back at New York Giants practice with an adjusted contract.

Dec 31, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) celebrates after his touchdown reception during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

For the time being, wide receiver Darius Slayton is still a catch among New York Giants management.

Slayton made his first public comments since returning to the Giants' prep activities for the 2024 season on Thursday, temporarily ending a contractual stalemate that kept him out of the early stages.

The sixth-year veteran revealed that while he received a new deal last off-season, rather than get an extension like he reportedly sought, the Giants added incentives to his current contract that, per an ESPN report, will give him a chance to earn an extra $650,000 above his 2024 max compensation this season.

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) gets ready to score a touchdown during a 24-point Giants first half, Sunday, January 7, 2024. / Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK

"I'm satisfied. We got done what we needed to get done," Slayton said after Thursday's practice. "We just adjusted my contract this year a little bit, just trying to make it a little more lucrative ... At the end of the day, I'm playing a game I love, a game I dreamed of playing when I was a kid. Now I'm back with my teammates, ready to go."

Slayton, 27, has bar none been the Giants' most potent aerial threat over the past five seasons, as the fifth-round pick from 2019 has put up 3,324 yards and 19 scores. That leads the Giants by wide margins over the last half-decade despite injuries and inconsistency eating away at the quarterback spot.

A contender that's an aerial piece away from a true Super Bowl chase would likely love Slayton's services, as the productive target hasn't gotten a chance to show off his talents in many high-profile games. But Slayton claimed that the Giants' active issues killed off the "luxury" of fielding new offers, leading him to accept compromises in the name of winning with his current crop of teammates.

"I don't really feel as though I have the luxury to look that far ahead considering we won (six) games last year," Slayton said.

"Kind of got to get over that hump first, as a collective, and then worry about that type of stuff. My primary focus is getting back there, helping the guys in my room, leading the guys in my room, and trying to get this team back where they were two years ago."

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