Free agency led Slayton back to the place where he has spent his entire NFL career

Darius Slayton’s Zoom call with media on Thursday kept getting interrupted by well-wishers who wanted to dab him up, or by whoops of joy at the sight of the veteran wide receiver back in the New York Giants facility.

Slayton, to the surprise of many, this week signed a three-year contract that could keep him with the franchise through 2027. At the end of the 2024 season, it seemed Slayton’s six-year run with the Giants had come to an end. He seemed worn down and ready to see what NFL life looked like somewhere else.

“I think that’s kind of what free agency is all about,” Slayton said. “It gives you a chance to sit back and reflect and be able to look at what other opportunities you have out there and look at other teams as well as the organization that you’re already a part of, that’s I’ve been part of for some time.

“I’m happy to still be a Giant.”

Slayton led the Giants in receiving yards in four of his first six seasons. The common belief was that after years of losing, Slayton would go elsewhere.

“I understand why people would be surprised,” Slayton said. “At the end of the day, I’ve enjoyed my six years here as a Giant.

“I enjoyed my teammates here. I enjoy working with the people in this building. So, you know, obviously we haven’t won as many games as we would have liked and all that type of thing.But I believe that we are capable of playing more games in the future. And honestly, other other than that, I really couldn’t tell you much bad about my experience with the Giants … I really couldn’t tell you a bad thing about this place.”

Slayton has 259 career receptions and 3,897 career receiving yards. Two more productive seasons and the 2018 fifth-round pick will find himself among the franchise’s all-time leaders in those categories.

“I hadn’t thought about it, but somebody sent it to me. It almost didn’t even read right in my head. I was like, dang, I didn’t realize it was actually something that was that attainable,” Slayton said. “I think anybody wants to end their career and feel like they left an impact on wherever they played for and have a positive memory of them wherever they played.

“So, obviously, you know, for my next three years, you know, I’m going to do my best to play my best and leave fans with a positive memory of Darius Slayton in their mind.”

Slayton acknowledged the hole the Giants have at quarterback.

“That’s pretty important for a receiver, knowing who’s going to be throwing the ball,” Slayton said. “Me, Dabs ad Joe had those discussions. I believe in the vision that they have and that they’ll get somebody in here that is going to be able to spin it and be able to lead us in the right direction.”

The two big-name possibilities are Russell Wilson, who visits the Giants on Friday, and Aaron Rodgers.

On Wilson:

“Selfishly I think he’s been noted as having a great deep ball. I love that, of course,” Slayton said. “Other than that, he’s somebody who has won in this league. He’s played well in this league for a long time. Played well last year for the Steelers, so clearly, he’s still got gas in the tank. If he’s who we bring in, or whoever we bring in, we’ll embrace him and do our best to rally around him.”

On Rodgers:

“I think Aaron Rodgers is probably one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, just pure thrower of the ball, to ever play football. I have a ton of respect for him,” Slayton said. “And I know everybody loves in this league, once you get a little older, it happens to everybody, like, he doesn’t [have] it anymore or whatever. But I think Aaron Rodgers has shown he can still spin it.

“I think, like I said, we have all the tools to make a quarterback like him or any veteran or rookie successful. Obviously if we get him, I would love to play with him. It’s not often in this league you get a chance to play with a Hall of Fame, all-time quarterback. I had the pleasure of playing with one my rookie year, and I think being able to play with two in a career is definitely not a blessing that I understate.”