New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton went an entire summer not knowing what the future held for him. Would he be released? Could he be traded? Was a contract restructure on the table?
Slayton was in the dark and admitted he wouldn’t have been surprised had general manager Joe Schoen cut him loose.
“I don’t think surprised is the word. I don’t think I would be surprised now,” Slayton said. “Every year, it’s kind of like my fourth time doing this. I don’t know. I don’t really stress about it too much. At the end of the day, if it’s meant for me to be here, I’ll be here. If it’s not, I won’t.”
As cutdown day came and went, Slayton remained with the Giants. Still, head coach Brian Daboll seemed to leave the door open to potential trades. And as fate would have it, several teams did inquire about Slayton.
Through it all, Slayton maintained a good sense of humor.
“Their job is to do what’s best for this team. So if somebody calls them and like if the Rams called and were like we’ll give you Aaron Donald for Darius Slayton, I mean I’d make that trade, too,” Slayton said, via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.
Slayton’s patience and persistence seems to have paid off. At least for now.
During a press conference on Friday, Schoen said the team is satisfied with their current 53-man roster and that includes Slayton, who will take the field in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans.
Joe Schoen says Darius Slayton will be in the team in Week 1.
— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) September 1, 2022
But, like Daboll before him, Schoen left the door cracked for things to change. He said he would continue to explore all opportunities, including a potential Slayton trade down the line.
Joe Schoen: “We like our 53 right now.”
Asked directly, Schoen says Darius Slayton is in the team. Also leaves door open for changes on that front, and not just for Slayton. #Giants
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) September 1, 2022
Joe Schoen says Darius Slayton will be on Giants’ roster in Week 1. He then says he doesn’t want to use an absolute to describe any situation, they’ll pursue any options, but he says they like their 53
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) September 1, 2022
For now, Slayton can find a bit more comfort in his roster security and focus more heavily on preparing for the Titans than worrying about having to potentially uproot his family.
