Giants Release Veteran Darius Slayton Days Before Season Opener

So much for surviving the roster cuts. 

Darius Slayton is no longer the longest-tenured Giant because he is no longer a Giant. 

In a move just days before the season opener, and in a decision that could come back to haunt Big Blue, Slayton was released — ending a tenure that dated to the Pat Shurmur era in 2019. The Giants tried to trade Slayton, but after that route didn’t work, they’ll settle for saving $3.12 million against the salary cap and take on a dead charge of $12.75 million (followed by another $3 million in 2027), according to OverTheCap.

Why now?

Slayton was already guaranteed $9 million this season and the remainder of his $12.2 million salary was set to become guaranteed Saturday because he is a vested veteran. After the final preseason game, The Post’s Paul Schwartz reported that Slayton’s roster spot was in jeopardy.

“Grateful for my time in NY. 7 years a Giant nothing but love for one of the most prestigious organizations in the NFL,” Slayton wrote on X after the move was announced, with a praying hands emoji at the end. “Excited to see what’s next.” 

Slayton was due to count $15.9 million against the cap in Year 2 of a contract that rang as an overpay from the minute it was signed in March 2025. If Slayton signs for the $1.3 million minimum with another team, that amount will come off the Giants’ tab, though another minimum salary (perhaps slightly cheaper based on experience level) will be added to the 53-man roster in his place.

There were multiple times since 2022 when it looked like general manager Joe Schoen was ready to move on from Slayton, but then he swooped in to double the wideout’s previous contract. 

This time, though, the Giants cut ties with Slayton. And it comes with a risk after Calvin Austin III was lost for the season with a torn ACL. The move likely points to Malik Nabers — finishing his recovery from a torn ACL — being ready to play in Week 1 against the Cowboys, but behind Nabers, the Giants are left with just rookie Malachi Fields, Darnell Mooney and Odell Beckham Jr. on the 53-man roster without Slayton. Braxton Berrios, their returner on the practice squad, will give them another wideout and could take Slayton’s open roster spot. But Big Blue sits one Nabers setback from a positional nightmare. 

Mooney, who was a 1,000-yard receiver with Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy in Chicago, orchestrated a strong finish to his summer, and given his overlapping skills with Slayton, a lot will be riding on the 28-year-old. Beckham completed his comeback story and will rotate into personnel groups during games, and the absence of Slayton could open up more opportunities for him. Tight end Isaiah Likely, who flashed a strong connection with Jaxson Dart throughout the summer, will also play a major role in the Big Blue passing attack. 

The Giants would have preferred to trade Slayton to recoup an asset and level out more of the dead money, so, if it’s not financially driven or depth-driven, what happened? Perhaps head coach John Harbaugh and Slayton just didn’t click, even though it was Slayton who advocated last season for the Giants to hire a big-name head coach. Perhaps the Giants were concerned about Slayton reclaiming his burst after double sports hernia surgery in the offseason. 

And with one move Monday, a strange seven-year chapter received an unceremonious conclusion. Slayton departs ranked No. 14 in franchise history in catches (296) and No. 12 in receiving yards (4,435). He led the team in yards in four of his first five seasons. But Slayton was never a fan favorite — mostly because, like Saquon Barkley and Dexter Lawrence, he was a recurring face in a forgettable era of miserable seasons. He also ranked among the league leaders in dropped passes since 2019. With the departures of Slayton and Lawrence, the Giants now have zero players remaining from their 2019 draft class and the longest-tenured Giant becomes 2020 first-round pick Andrew Thomas. 

Six days ago, after making the initial 53-man roster, Slayton said that he had “to show and prove” himself to yet another new Giants coaching staff this season. He acknowledged “some bumps” in his summer and path back from surgery, but he thought, overall, it was “solid.” He’d been in this spot — as someone on the roster bubble — before, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last time, either. 

“Just another playmaker,” Slayton said Tuesday, when asked about where he thought he fit into the receiver room. “I feel like we have a bunch in the room, a lot of really talented guys that we’ve added to the roster. I see myself as one of those guys and whatever capacity that I can be.” 

Less than a week later, his tenure with the Giants was over. 

— Paul Schwartz contributed to this report