The New York Giants are re-signing WR Darius Slayton to a three-year, $36 million contract, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Media.
Before the Steelers traded for WR DK Metcalf on Sunday, Slayton was a player the team was likely to be interested in. At just 28 years old, Slayton has been a productive deep threat for the Giants over the past six seasons. He’s coming off a 2024 season where he had a career-low 39 receptions and 573 yards, but despite that, he still earns a nice payday in a rich receiver market.
Slayton’s never had more than 770 yards in a season, and he’s viewed more so as a No. 2 or No. 3 option around the league. He had interest around the league during the NFL trade deadline, but a concussion the week before the deadline kept him in New York, and now he’ll remain in the place he spent his whole career for at least another three seasons.
He’s the type of player Pittsburgh may have looked at to supplement their passing game across from George Pickens, but with the Steelers upgrading with Metcalf, it didn’t feel as if he was an option for Pittsburgh with the legal tampering period beginning today. The Steelers still have work to do to upgrade their depth at receiver, though, but Slayton wouldn’t have fit with both Pickens and Metcalf and not for $12 million per year.
The Giants will be looking for a new quarterback this offseason, and with the team holding the No. 3 overall pick, it very well could wind up being a rookie. New York also has interest in both Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers, and the team is ensuring that whoever their next quarterback is has another reliable target outside of Malik Nabers, who had an outstanding rookie season in 2024.
Slayton’s ability downfield as a deep ball weapon helps him remain valuable even if he doesn’t put up monster numbers. He’s averaged 15 yards per reception for his career, and it makes sense for him to remain in New York’s offense. Nabers can work all over the field, while WR Wan’Dale Robinson is an underneath receiver. Slayton provides a true deep threat for the Giants, and they value his skillset enough to give him a $12 million average per year.
