Darius Slayton was listed as the No. 3 wide receiver for the New York Giants during the 2024-25 season. He recorded 573 receiving yards and caught two touchdowns, good for third on the team in both categories.
So then what on God's green earth convinced general manager Joe Schoen to re-sign Slayton to a three-year, $36 million deal on Monday?
"It's rare for me to be surprised anymore in this field, but this move - admittedly, this move surprised me quite a bit," Giants insider Connor Hughes told SNY minutes after the deal was announced.
Giants paid Darius Slayton a Saquon Barkley-level contract for WR3 production
Slayton, drafted in the fifth-round of the 2019 draft by New York, has never recorded a 1,000 yard season. In fact, he's never reached 800 yards in his six-year career.
But according to some reports, New York valued his leadership in the locker room — especially as a mentor to 2024 first-round pick Malik Nabers.
"One of the many reasons why I'm glad Slayton is back is that, hopefully, the Giants learned not to let leadership walk out the door anymore," Sports Illustrated's Patricia Traina wrote on X. "Slayton is a leader and a very good one at that."
You know who else was a good locker room leader and produced way more than Slayton ever has? Saquon Barkley.
The Giants handed Slayton the same contract Barkley asked for last offseason and eventually found with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. Well, 2,005 rushing yards later and Schoen seemingly still hasn't learned his lesson.
At age 27, Slayton's contract will be an expensive burden with little dividends on the field. He's already slipped behind Nabers and fourth-year veteran Wan'Dale Robinson on the Giants' receiving pecking order.
He'll have an opportunity to prove everyone wrong in 2025 but it does not look anywhere near likely he'll be worth the $12 million per year price tag he negotiated.