New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen caught a lot of flak at the trade deadline when he stood pat, opting not to sell. Instead, he kept receiver Darius Slayton and edge rusher Azeez Ojulari in the building in a doomed season.
Ojulari's season ended shortly after due to injury, but Slayton played out the rest of the year on what most assumed would be his final contract with the Giants. Hence, not trading him to a competitor offering draft capital looked like yet another misstep for the league's most publicly-denounced general manager.
Schoen kept those veterans in the building partly due to lackluster returns and partly due to the value in continuity, in keeping those voices around the locker room for the long haul, even if it meant sacrificing an extra Day 3 pick or two in April. None of that would have mattered, though, if free agency ended their tenures.
On Monday, the Giants re-signed their trusted veteran receiver to a three-year deal worth $36 million, per Ian Rapoport.
Slayton had largely been expected to depart in the name of greener pastures of quality quarterbacking, of which he received none in New York. Daniel Jones, who relied on him more than any other receiver, has been out of the picture since the bye week. The road to a star quarterback might run through the 2025 NFL Draft, but doesn't offer Slayton much assurance.
And yet, he's back for Year 7, likely starting along the boundary opposite Malik Nabers once again.
Pending guarantees, Slayton's deal is most comparable to former Los Angeles Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer, who signed with the Buffalo Bills during the legal tampering period. He too will earn $36 million over three years (Over the Cap).
At least 30 receivers will have contracts greater than Slayton's entering 2025, and at least 31 will boast greater average annual values. That could make Slayton a bit of a steal, especially if he bounces back to the 700-yard receiver he was for four of the first five years of his career. In 2021, Slayton fell below that mark due to injury. In 2024, his 573 yards can be chalked up to a combination of passing woes and a pestering drop issue.
Related: Giants Rookie Class Reveals Schoen's Biggest Win
Nevertheless, Slayton is invaluable in the receiver room, the locker room, and the surrounding community, too, making him a decent bet to outperform his contract, even if the production never truly pops.
He's paid like an ancillary target and should be expected to produce like one in 2025, given the inevitable quarterback upgrade on the way. Slayton joins defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence as the longest-tenured Giants.
Related: Slayton's Service: Giants Receiver Wins Major Award
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 6:22 PM.