The New York Giants have a huge task in hand as the 2026 NFL season approaches. The 53-man roster is near but after John Harbaugh endorsed Odell Beckham Jr., new reports put veteran Darius Slayton on the bubble as he could get cut.
Per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, Slayton is on the bubble. Schwartz also stated Slayton “clearly was not moving the same following surgery to repair a sports hernia.” This is a big indictment.
John Harbaugh recently confirmed if Odell Beckham Jr. has earned a roster spot on the Giants. Well that report is now stronger due to the doubts over Darius Slayton. OBJ could actually take Slayton’s role.
This is shocking due to one factor
At first, Slayton was pretty much a lock to make the roster. However, what seemed to protect Slayton’s place on the Giants was that he is entering the second year of a three-year, $36 million contract. Therefore, parting ways with the wideout would be a blow against the Giants’ salary cap.
Darius Slayton with a big play and catch on third down! pic.twitter.com/O1AsKi54sb
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) August 22, 2026
In the last preseason game, he caught 4/6 targets for 58 yards, leading the team in receiving yards during a 26-3 win. However, he stayed longer on the field, and that is bad news as all “locked in” players were pulled out way before.
Slayton is coming off a down year
Darius Slayton had his second worst year in the NFL. Barring the 2021 season where he only started five games, 2025 was Slayton’s lowest output with just 538 yards and a career-low one touchdown.
Add that to the fact that he is older and recovering from a hernia surgery, and Slayton’s career might have seen better days. John Harbaugh brings a new regime and that might cause the longest-tenured Giants player on the roster to seek pastures new.
