John Harbaugh Explains Why Cutting Darius Slayton Wasn't Personal

Harbaugh says the decision to release the Giants' longest-tenured player was purely about building the right team — and insists Slayton "is going to be fine."

Former New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh made it clear on Wednesday that the team’s decision to cut wide receiver Darius Slayton, the longest-tenured member of the team, was a football decision and nothing more.

“We always make all of our personnel decisions about what's best for the team immediately and in the long-term future. What gives us the best chance to be the best team we can be? That's the choice that we made,” he said.

Harbaugh’s decision began to crystallize as he watched practices unfold this past summer.

He also shared that while Slayton worked hard to return from his sports hernia issue, for which he had offseason surgery, past metrics such as 500+ receiving yards per season weren’t enough to save a roster spot for the veteran receiver.

“I watch practice every day, and I see a team that we're building going forward,” Harbaugh said. “We're looking at what we're going to be going forward and the type of team we want to build.

“And where we're standing right now, it's just not the best thing for us, but maybe not the best thing for him either,” he added.

Still, the timing seemed odd to some because if Harbaugh knew Slayton wasn’t a fit for the type of team they want to build moving forward, why not make the decision when the roster had to be cut to 53?

Doing so would have allowed the team to keep wide receiver Braxton Berrios, who is currently on the practice squad but who is expected to be elevated for this weekend’s game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

“There are a lot of factors. Maybe you can get a trade. Maybe you try to wait as long as you can to see if you work out a contract change, right? There's a lot of reasons for it, which I really don't feel obligated to explain,” Harbaugh said.

In short, it might not have been an easy decision—not every decision is. But Harbaugh believes it will benefit both the team and the player in the long run.

“He's going to be fine,” Harbaugh said of Slayton. “He's going to land somewhere, he's going to play football somewhere, and we're going to move forward. That's how football goes. Nothing lasts forever.”

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.