The New York Giants made the curious decision to sit tight at the trade deadline, refusing to sell players for future picks on the basis of continuity and re-signing those veterans in the offseason. For edge rusher Azeez Ojulari and receiver Darius Slayton, now is their chance. Both are set to hit free agency in March, seeking greener pastures, a pay raise, and the chance to follow in Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s footsteps – leaving New York and finding a new home on a contender. General manager Joe Schoen will be tasked with keeping those talents in the building, and he has $48 million to spend in the process. Both, however, seem likely to at least test the market for checking back in East Rutherford. Subsequently, the Giants are rumored to lose Slayton, a key receiver, to the Steelers in free agency. “According to a source close to the situation, the Steelers are expected to have interest in Slayton in free agency,” Noah Strackbein wrote for Sports Illustrated. “The 28 year old had a career low of just 573 yards and two touchdowns this past season, but as the Giants struggled to find success at quarterback, many around the league viewed their wide receiver core as talented but lacking the help they needed.” Slayton has been a staple of recent New York offenses, as well as a cherished member of the community. He’s among the longest-tenured Giants, and while a down year may sink his market, he’s a strong fit for a team in need of a deep threat.
To his credit, he’s been a model of consistency during his six seasons in New York. In four of his first five seasons, he saw between 700 and 800 yards. In 2024, the quarterbacking truly fell off, leaving him with just 573 yards and two scores on 71 targets.
Slayton has scored just 13 touchdowns since finding the end zone eight times as a rookie in 2018, but the shape of his production has remained relatively stable, albeit at the whims of inconsistent quarterback play. Pittsburgh knows what it’d be getting in Slayton, a perimeter field stretcher with the occasional case of the drops and an encouraging locker room presence. The Steelers can’t promise elite quarterbacking, but they can safely assume they won’t see the 2024 version of Daniel Jones that threw cold water on Slayton’s contract year production. Will that be enough to lure Slayton across conference lines? It’s a real possibility, and that leaves New York with another offensive hole to address either in free agency or early in the NFL Draft. Slayton didn’t move the needle, but the Giants cannot afford to welcome in a rookie quarterback with a liability in the receiver corps, further shaping their offensive plans.
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