Alec Pierce’s upcoming absence will lead the Colts to sign a veteran reinforcement. Darius Slayton is heading to Indianapolis, The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reports.
An aggravation of Pierce’s heel injury — one that required offseason surgery — will likely lead to an IR placement. Although Pierce is not planning to undergo another surgery, a midseason return looks like the best-case scenario. The Colts, who already added a receiver reinforcement in Keenan Allen last month, will take advantage of Slayton’s availability to help a receiving corps that has undergone significant changes over the past 10 months.
The Colts entered last season with strong receiver depth, running out a group including Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell to go with tight end Tyler Warren. After trades involving Mitchell and Pittman and Pierce’s setback, the Colts entered Monday depleted at a recent position of strength. Slayton will be poised to join Allen in complementing Downs and Warren.
This deal will reunite Slayton with his primary NFL quarterback. The Giants drafted both Slayton and Daniel Jones in 2019, and as their receiver setup featured continued disappointment, the QB could rely on the former fifth-round pick. Slayton paced the Giants in receiving yardage four times during Jones’ tenure. The two established a strong rapport in New York, and after the John Harbaugh regime’s first offseason in charge included a late-summer Slayton cut, the reunion could be pivotal to Indianapolis’ chances of keeping contention hopes afloat.
More to come.