Darius Slayton returns to Giants OTAs as leading receiver seeks contract extension

Darius Slayton was back on the practice field Tuesday.

The Giants’ leading receiver had been absent so far this spring while seeking a contract extension. But he returned and participated in the club’s fourth OTA practice.

It is not immediately clear if there has been any resolution or change to Slayton’s contract situation. The team posted a series of photos of Slayton, 27, running routes during the closed practice at the facility in East Rutherford, N.J.

No. 86 is in the second year of a two-year contract. He has led the Giants in receiving yards in four of the last five seasons.

When Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll arrived in 2022, the Giants front office shopped Slayton and eventually squeezed him into an embarrassing pay cut to remain on the team.

Slayton then led the Giants with 724 receiving yards, the team went to the playoffs and he earned a new two-year, $12.4 million contract with $4.9 million guaranteed.

He then backed that up with a career high 770 yards last season to lead the team along with four touchdowns, despite playing on one of the worst offenses in the league.

Slayton already locked in a $2.4 million roster bonus for this 2024 league year by being on the Giants’ roster in mid-March. So Schoen and Daboll already have money invested in Slayton helping the team this year.

The wideout has a $2.5 million base salary and up to $750,000 in per game roster bonuses, but he forfeited a $350,000 workout bonus by not attending 100% of the Giants’ OTAs — unless, of course, he and the team work out some leniency as resolution in a new deal.

Slayton expressed confidence about reaching a deal in early May at a charity event, but Daboll provided no insight last week while acknowledging the wide receiver remained absent from the team’s organized activities.

Schoen drafted LSU standout wideout Malik Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick in April, but Slayton provides production and veteran leadership in a young receiver room.

He is the only one of the Giants’ top four projected receivers who has been in the league for more than two years.

Tight end Darren Waller, who is considering retirement, remains absent from the Giants’ work.

The team’s next open OTA practice is Thursday.