The Indianapolis Colts released Darius Slayton on Friday morning, ending a brief stint that never reached game day. He signed on Sept. 22, but he never played a snap for the team.
That makes Slayton’s exit one of the sharper roster turns for the Colts this week, especially with Daniel Jones now starting at quarterback for Indianapolis. The move also closes the book on a wide receiver the team had hoped could add speed downfield after an injury to Alec Pierce.
Slayton’s path to Indianapolis had been built on a steady track record. A 2019 fifth-round selection, he spent seven seasons with the New York Giants and caught 296 passes for 4,435 yards. Last season, he had 37 catches for 538 yards, a line that helped explain why the Colts were willing to bring him in late in the year.
Instead, the move never got off the ground. Slayton had surgery in the offseason for double sports hernias, then suffered a knee injury that kept him out of the Colts' lineup in Week 5. When a player cannot get onto the field, the usual receiver-room math changes fast, and teams make room for healthier options.
Whether the Indianapolis Colts will add another receiver is the unanswered part now. Slayton is again looking for a new team, while the Colts move on without the deep threat they thought they had found.
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