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Giants' wide receiver Darius Slayton recently underwent surgery for a core-muscle injury

The New York Giants have been busy this offseason, and with most of their moves in the books, the team believes it is capable of taking a step forward in 2026. While the front office has brought a slew of new players to town, there is a solid core group of returning young players leading the way.

One of the more veteran players on this roster is wide receiver Darius Slayton, who is set to enter his eighth season with the Giants. Slayton is set to remain an important secondary contributor in the passing game for quarterback Jaxson Dart, but he recently received a potentially concerning injury update that has quickly caught the team’s attention.

Darius Slayton Undergoes Surgery for Core-Muscle Injury

A fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Slayton has been a sneaky important player for the Giants during his time in town. While he’s never been the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, Slayton has been a strong complementary piece in the passing game, and he figures to be set to take on a bigger role in 2026 now that Wan’Dale Robinson is gone.

Slayton announced himself to the world with eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2019, which remains a career-high to this day. Despite missing three games last year, Slayton still posted strong numbers, as he finished the year with 37 receptions for 538 yards and a touchdown. While Malik Nabers and Darnell Mooney are going to be Dart’s top two options at wide receiver, Slayton should remain quite involved as well.

For the most part, Slayton has been reliable when it comes to staying on the field, as he’s never missed more than four games in a single year. This offseason, though, Slayton has been dealing with a concerning core muscle injury that recently required him to undergo surgery. And yet, while Slayton is expected to miss some time during the spring, all signs point to him being ready for the start of training camp.

“Giants WR Darius Slayton recently underwent surgery for a core-muscle injury, sources tell me and Ian Rapoport,” Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “Slayton will miss the spring but is expected to be a full go for training camp.”

Giants Hoping Darius Slayton is Ready to Go for Training Camp

GettyEAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 28: Darius Slayton #18 of the New York Giants is introduced before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium on September 28, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Slayton’s experience in the Giants’ offense will help Nabers ease his way back into the action as he returns from a torn ACL, while Mooney will work on familiarizing himself with his new team. Guys like Calvin Austn III, third-round rookie Malachi Fields, and Isaiah Hodgins lurk behind him on the depth chart, but it sounds like Slayton won’t be forced to miss too much time while recovering from this surgery.

New York likely will take it easy with Slayton during the spring, with the hope being that he will be ready for training camp. If he isn’t, then the Giants may really start sweating his injury status, but it’s still way too early to begin panicking here. Slayton has a track record of being available for his team, and for the time being, there’s good reason to believe he will be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign.