Report: Steelers Among Likely Suitors for Giants Free-Agent WR
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been named likely suitors for New York Giants free-agent wide receiver Darius Slayton.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are planning to attack the wide receiver position in free agency after failing to acquire another legitimate playmaker last year. That’s why they’re being heavily linked to one of the top wide receivers set to hit the open market in about a week.
According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, the Steelers are among a few teams expected to make a strong run at New York Giants free-agent wide receiver Darius Slayton.
“I’m told teams like the Chargers, Panthers and Steelers are among the likely suitors for the consistent Giants receiver,” Leonard posted on X.
Slayton, 28, is coming off the second-worst statistical season of his NFL career. In 2023, he had just 39 catches for 573 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games.
However, Slayton still expects to have “a lot of interest” in free agency and plans on weighing all of his options to find the best landing spot.
“Definitely, winning and being in an advantageous situation are probably two things that are really important for me right now,” Slayton said on “The Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard” podcast. “Obviously, five out of my six years with the Giants we weren’t competitive. We didn’t make the playoffs. We weren’t really close to making the playoffs.”
If competing for the playoffs is what Slayton is looking for, of course on top of getting paid, the Steelers may be the best of the three mentioned teams.
While Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season, head coach Mike Tomlin always seems to have his team in contention by the end of the regular season. That is something Slayton has rarely experienced in his professional career.
The Steelers also have plenty of money to land Slayton with nearly $60 million in salary cap space, per Over The Cap. Slayton, on the other hand, is expected to receive a three-year, $47.3 million deal ($15.8M per year), per Spotrac.
Who the Steelers quarterback will be might be the biggest factor in whether they can convince Slayton to come to Pittsburgh, but that is something the team is hoping to have figured out before the start of the new league year.
Slayton has 259 catches for 3,897 yards and 21 touchdowns in his six-year NFL career. His best season came in 2023 when he recorded a career-high 50 catches for 770 yards.