It has been an interesting bye week for the New York Giants, to say the least.
General manager Joe Schoen delivered a somewhat frustrating message to fans during his November 12 press conference, NFL insiders have gone back and forth on the status of quarterback Daniel Jones and analysts around the league have begun to question if Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are indeed on the hot seat to close out 2024.
Add a questionable social media comment from a veteran player to the list. After former teammate and recent NYG cut Nick McCloud posted a photo in a San Francisco 49ers uniform on Instagram on November 16, wide receiver Darius Slayton caught the attention of fans when he replied — “A free man!” — underneath.
uSTADIUM also shared this social media interaction on X, which drew a response from SNY insider Connor Hughes.
“Joe Schoen said earlier this week that he didn’t believe cutting Nick McCloud impacted anything within the locker room ..” Hughes wrote on X.
Schoen and the Giants were widely criticized for releasing the cornerback and core special teamer, McCloud, who reportedly refused to take a midseason pay cut according to New York Post reporter Ryan Dunleavy, among others.
Giants Fans Question NYG ‘Culture’ & Darius Slayton After Nick McCloud Comment
Big Blue supporters and NFL fans reacted to Slayton’s “free man” comment all across social media on November 16 and 17.
“A Player gets cut and other players are so happy for them. Nice culture brian and joe!” One user stated on X, in response to Hughes.
Another said: “Guys a [expletive] loser who has no clue how to run a football team.” Seemingly directing his criticism at Schoen.
One fan even wrote that “it’s time for him to be relieved of his duties…” Although it was unclear if he was referring to Schoen or Slayton.
On Instagram, fans questioned Slayton’s words, asking — “the hell you mean” and “are you [for real] [right now]?” A third user simply said: “Ain’t no way.” While a fourth replied: “Free man is crazy 😭.”
In the same comment section, another person asked jokingly: “Did you forget you still on the team bro 😭?” Finally, an NFL fan also told Slayton not to worry, because “you’ll be a free man soon too.”
Giants’ Darius Slayton Appears to Be Headed Toward Saquon Barkley-Like Departure
After refusing to trade them at the deadline, the Giants lost superstar running back Saquon Barkley and integral safety Xavier McKinney in free agency this offseason. In October, a contingent of fans feared the same could happen with players like Slayton and edge rusher Azeez Ojulari.
In the end, the Giants elected to hold onto both, but there is still hope that Slayton and Ojulari could potentially re-sign in 2025. If you read into social media interactions like this one, however, that might be unlikely when it comes to Slayton.
It’s been a tumultuous year for the veteran wideout, beginning with a mini holdout and a good deal of trade speculation. Eventually, Slayton and the NYG front office agreed to a minor contract restructure and he stepped back into his starting role, beating out Jalin Hyatt for snaps.
With the playoffs now falling out of reach for the Giants, Slayton’s role could theoretically diminish after the bye week. It’d make more sense for the team to develop Hyatt — who caught 4 receptions for 39 yards in Germany — and from a financial standpoint, the team would also be less likely to pay out the incentives in Slayton’s contract.
“Slayton’s contract included a total of $1.5 million in money he could earn in incentives in 2024 if he had 70 receptions for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns — all of which would be career highs,” New York Post reporter Paul Schwartz wrote on May 30.
“As a sweetener, the Giants agreed to up the ante to $2.15 million in incentives, meaning his staying away from Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the offseason program, plus missing the first three OTAs, got him an additional $650,000 in incentives.”
Slayton has currently only accumulated 32 catches for 469 yards and 1 touchdown in 2024.
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