Darius Slayton Wants to Contribute to Giants Offense

The Giants' longest-tenured receiver spoke to former NFL receiver Keyshown Johnson about the upcoming season, his sixth in blue, and how he hopes to contribute.

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

All New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton wants to do is earn his money from the team.

No, not simply show up and collect a paycheck to do nothing; earn it by contributing to the team in all facets, including on game day. 

But with the team having drafted Malik Nabers, whom many believe will take some of the pass targets that might have gone to Slayton in the past, and with youngsters Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt on the team, there may have been some concern on Slayton’s part regarding his role.

That’s why the 27-year-old receiver, the Giants’ team leader in receiving yardage in four of the last five seasons, would have been open to a trade from the team that drafted him in the fifth round in 2019.

“I don’t play football to just play,” Slayton told former NFL receiver Keyshawn Johnson on his All Facts, No Brakes podcast.

“I want the chance to show that I’m amongst the best in the game. But the reality of being a receiver is if you don’t get the opportunities to do so, you’re not gonna have the production,” he said.

Slayton skipped most of the voluntary part of the Giants' off-season program this spring while looking for the team to provide financial reassurance that he would still be part of the team.

The former Auburn receiver is entering the final year of a two-year contract extension he signed before the 2023 season and was reportedly looking for an extension. The Giants didn’t give him the extension, but they did add some performance incentives to his contract.

Slayton, who in 2022 took a pay cut to remain with the Giants, has long been a good sport and a team player, even if it’s meant doing things with which he might not necessarily agree. And had the Giants indicated that he wouldn’t be a part of the offense, he said that he would have been fine with a trade.

“Obviously, you’re trying to maximize your dollars. But at the same time, I kind of wanted to make sure it was known that if being here and me being a part of the offense — and being a big part of the offense — is not the thing here, then that’s OK,” he said.

“But we’d either like to move on and go somewhere else or make the investment that implies that I am that. So that was kind of where we ended up.”

With his contract situation resolved for now and his place on the 53-man roster seemingly set, Slayton is focused on doing what he can to help the team get back on the winning track.

If they let him, that is.  

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