Darius Slayton has missed each of the New York Giants’ past two games as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury. He made progress last week by practicing in a limited fashion, but he was ultimately ruled out before their game against the Denver Broncos. The veteran wide receiver’s next opportunity to get back onto the field will come in Week 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The NFC East division rivals will meet for the second time in just three weeks, with the Giants coming away with a victory in the first one, despite Slayton’s absence. His increased practice activity last week suggests that he has a real chance of playing in their upcoming matchup. He will be a player to keep a close eye on in the Giants’ official injury reports this week, as his participation could determine his availability.
Will Darius Slayton Play in Week 8?
The Giants have been operating with a depleted group of wide receivers in recent weeks. Superstar Malik Nabers suffered a devastating season-ending knee injury back in Week 4, and Slayton has been unavailable since Week 5 with a hamstring injury. Hamstring injuries are tricky to recover from for skill-position players, but Slayton appears close to overcoming them.
This has resulted in Lil’Jordan Humphrey being elevated from the practice squad, and their other wide receivers also stepping into larger roles. Humphrey could potentially return to the practice squad upon Slayton’s eventual return, whether that be in Week 8 or in the near future.
Slayton was limited in practice on Thursday, which is a good sign for his availability this week. Based on PFSN’s WR Impact metric, he is the 55th-ranked receiver in the league.
On Friday, Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Slayton can be available to play in Week 8, “hopefully.”
Despite playing with one of the weakest groups of wide receivers in the NFL, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has still been impressive since taking over for Russell Wilson. He has played to a 2-2 record with ten total touchdowns as the franchise has seemingly found its solution at the position.
Slayton has only been available for two of those games, so his return could provide Dart with a further boost as a legitimate vertical threat in their offense. Jalin Hyatt has been filling this role in his absence, but he has been massively disappointing with just 17 receiving yards.
Slayton has been much more productive this season, including totaling 166 yards in the four games prior to his hamstring injury. He trails only Wan’Dale Robinson on their active roster in yards per game this season and could play a key role against the Eagles in Week 8 if he is able to make his return.
