Darius Slayton Released by Giants, Updated NFL Salary Cap, Depth Chart and Top Landing Spots for WR

The New York Giants are moving on from one of their veteran wide receivers.

The team announced on Monday that it has released Darius Slayton after seven years with the team. Slayton was the longest-tenured member of the Giants.

The 29-year-old was entering the second year of a three-year, $36 million deal and had a $15.91 cap hit for the upcoming season. New York was $953,427 over the cap before releasing Slayton, per Spotrac.

Giants Depth Chart
Pos	Starter	2nd	3rd
QB	Jaxson Dart	Jameis Winston
RB	Cam Skattebo	Tyrone Tracy Jr	Najee Harris
WR	Malik Nabers	Malachi Fields
WR	Odell Beckham Jr.
WR	Darnell Mooney
TE	Isaiah Likely	Theo Johnson	Chris Manhertz
FB	Patrick Ricard

With Slayton on his way out of New York, a handful of teams in need of wide receiver depth might try to pick him up. The New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans jump out as potential candidates.

The Giants drafted Slayton in the fifth round in 2019, and he's managed to put together a strong career, amassing 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns over the past seven years.

Last season, he had 538 yards and a touchdown on 37 receptions. While it wasn't a bad year by any means, it was his lowest production since 2021, and heading into the offseason, it was possible that Slayton wouldn't be on the team to start the 2026 campaign.

Still, Slayton believed he could have been a key piece in the Giants' offense under new head coach John Harbaugh.

"Just another playmaker," Slayton told reporters about his fit on the team. "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."

While the Giants perhaps needed some depth at wide receiver with Calvin Austin out for the year, they decided it was time to part ways with Slayton, and he'll look to end up somewhere else.

The Saints are in desperate need of some wide receiver depth heading into the season, but they can't afford much given their salary cap position. Slayton would be an affordable option since the Giants are paying him guaranteed money for the 2026 campaign.

The Eagles likewise could use some depth after Johnny Wilson suffered a season-ending injury, so they could pick up Slayton after their divisional rival decided to release him.

The Titans are still hoping to get Cam Ward comfortable in his second season, and picking up a veteran like Slayton could further his development.