Darius Slayton spent seven seasons as one of the New York Giants’ most reliable deep threats, and now he’s the center of a very different kind of headline. On September 7, 2026, the Giants released him just days before their season opener, ending an eight-year run with the only NFL team he’s ever known. Here’s everything confirmed about his career, his marriage to Olympic star Anna Hall, and what happens next.
Background: Who Is Darius Slayton and Why Is He Trending?
Darius Slayton is a professional wide receiver who has played his entire NFL career with the New York Giants since being drafted in 2019. He built a reputation as a deep-ball specialist, a receiver who could turn a short game into a long touchdown with one burst of speed. Over seven seasons, he caught 296 passes for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns, numbers that rank him among the top 15 pass catchers in franchise history.
People are searching his name right now for two very different reasons. The first is football: he was just cut by the Giants, a move almost nobody expected given the size of his contract. The second is personal: earlier this year he married Anna Hall, one of the biggest names in American track and field. Both stories collided in the same year, which is why his name is spiking in search traffic today.
💡 Quick Context: Slayton was a fifth-round pick (171st overall) out of Auburn in 2019. He became the Giants’ longest-tenured player, outlasting four different coaching staffs before his release in 2026.
Latest Update
As of September 7, 2026, here is what’s currently known. The New York Giants officially released Darius Slayton earlier today, according to the NFL’s transaction wire and confirmed independently by ESPN, NBC Sports, and NFL Network. The move comes just before the Giants’ Week 1 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
📅 Key Date: September 7, 2026 — The New York Giants release Darius Slayton, their longest-tenured player, one week before the regular season opener.
The release surprised many analysts because Slayton had signed a three-year, $36 million contract with $22 million guaranteed just eighteen months earlier, in March 2025. Cutting him only saves the Giants roughly $2.5 million against the salary cap this year, which suggests the team simply ran out of room for him on the depth chart. With Malik Nabers healthy again, veteran Odell Beckham Jr. making the roster, and rookie Malachi Fields expected to see snaps, the Giants’ receiver room got crowded fast, and Slayton’s production had slipped for three straight seasons.
NFL insiders reported that the Giants tried to trade Slayton before releasing him outright but found no takers willing to absorb his contract. He is now a free agent, and multiple reporters expect another team to sign him quickly, since he is still considered a capable deep threat even after a down year. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and insider Jordan Schultz both confirmed the move on the same day, with Schultz noting that Slayton’s career numbers rank him inside the top 15 all-time for the Giants in both catches and receiving yards, a mark that puts his tenure in real historical context rather than just a footnote on a roster move.
The timing stings for a player who spent his whole career defending his roster spot. Slayton had said in interviews just days before the cut that he wasn’t paying attention to rumors about his job security, pointing out that he had already survived four coaching changes since being drafted. This time, the outcome went the other way, and it happened right before the games that count.
⚠️ Unconfirmed Claims: As of this writing, no team has been confirmed as Slayton’s next destination. Any specific team rumors circulating online should be treated as speculation until an official signing is announced.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Darius Slayton was born on January 12, 1997, in Norcross, Georgia. He grew up in a close-knit household and attended Greater Atlanta Christian School, where he ran track alongside playing football, winning a state sprint championship in both the 100 and 200 meters. That speed later became his calling card in the NFL.
Career Path
Slayton played college football at Auburn University from 2015 to 2018, redshirting his first year before becoming a steady contributor for the Tigers. He entered the 2019 NFL Draft and was picked by the Giants in the fifth round, 171st overall. As a rookie, he immediately made an impact, catching 48 passes for 740 yards and 8 touchdowns, a number that tied for the most receiving touchdowns among all rookies that year.
From there, Slayton became a fixture in New York’s offense, leading the Giants in receiving yards in four of his first five seasons despite the team cycling through multiple head coaches and starting quarterbacks. He re-signed with the Giants twice, most recently on a three-year, $36 million deal in March 2025. His final season with the team, in 2025, produced 37 catches for 538 yards and one touchdown across 14 games before the sports hernia surgery and roster crunch that preceded his release in September 2026.
What made Slayton stand out for most of his career wasn’t volume, it was efficiency on deep throws. Since entering the league in 2019, he has averaged 15.0 yards per catch, the third-highest mark in the NFL over that span among receivers with at least 250 receptions. He also owns 13 touchdown catches of 30 or more yards, third-most in Giants franchise history behind only Amani Toomer and Odell Beckham Jr. Those numbers explain why a team kept bringing him back even during losing seasons: a receiver who can turn one target into six points is hard to fully replace, even when his overall catch totals look modest on paper.
Age
Darius Slayton is 29 years old as of September 2026, having been born on January 12, 1997.
Religion
Slayton has not publicly disclosed his religious beliefs. Because he keeps this part of his life private, his religion should be treated as unconfirmed rather than assumed.
Spouse/Partner
Slayton is married to Anna Hall, a world champion heptathlete who competed for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics and won gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. The two met when Slayton attended one of her track meets and introduced himself afterward. They began dating in 2024, got engaged in November 2025 at the same track where they first met, and married on April 11, 2026, at Oheka Castle on Long Island.
✅ Confirmed by multiple outlets: Fox News, Yahoo Sports, Olympics.com, and People all independently confirmed the Slayton-Hall engagement and wedding, along with the specific venue and dates listed here.
Older articles online sometimes mix Darius Slayton up with a different NFL player, cornerback Darius Slay, who has a wife named Jennifer and a separate family. Those two athletes are not related, and any references to “Jennifer Slayton” as Darius Slayton’s wife are a mix-up with the wrong player.
Net Worth
Darius Slayton’s net worth is estimated at somewhere between $10 million and $16 million, based on his NFL career earnings, which include his rookie contract and two subsequent Giants deals. There is no officially audited net worth figure from Forbes or a similar financial outlet, so this range should be treated as an approximation rather than an exact number.
Parents
His parents are Eddie Slayton and Pamela Slayton. He also has a sister named Maileka. His family has been supportive of his football career from his early days in Georgia through his time in the NFL.
Height
Slayton is listed at 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm) tall and weighs around 190 to 198 pounds, depending on the source and season.
Education
He attended Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Georgia, before enrolling at Auburn University, where he played college football from 2015 through 2018.
Hometown/State of Origin
Darius Slayton is from Norcross, Georgia, a suburb northeast of Atlanta.
Official Social Media
You can follow Darius Slayton on Instagram at @slim_slay81.
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Darius Slayton |
| Date of Birth | January 12, 1997 |
| Age | 29 (as of September 2026) |
| Hometown | Norcross, Georgia |
| College | Auburn University |
| NFL Draft | 2019, Round 5, Pick 171 (New York Giants) |
| Position | Wide Receiver |
| Height / Weight | 6’1″ / ~190-198 lbs |
| Spouse | Anna Hall (married April 11, 2026) |
| Parents | Eddie Slayton and Pamela Slayton |
| Career Stats (2019-2025) | 296 receptions, 4,435 yards, 22 TDs |
| Current Team Status | Free agent (released by Giants Sept. 7, 2026) |
| Net Worth (estimated) | $10 million-$16 million (unconfirmed) |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Why did the Giants release Darius Slayton?
The Giants released Slayton because of a crowded receiver room and a salary cap crunch. With Malik Nabers back from injury, Odell Beckham Jr. making the roster, and rookie Malachi Fields in the mix, the team decided his declining production no longer matched his $15 million-plus cap hit.
Is Darius Slayton married?
Yes. Darius Slayton married Olympic heptathlete Anna Hall on April 11, 2026, at Oheka Castle on Long Island, New York. The couple got engaged in November 2025 after dating since 2024.
How old is Darius Slayton?
Darius Slayton was born on January 12, 1997, which makes him 29 years old as of September 2026.
What team will Darius Slayton play for next?
As of the article’s publish date, no new team has been confirmed. Slayton is a free agent, and reporters expect interest given his career production, but any specific team names circulating online remain unconfirmed rumors.
What is Darius Slayton’s net worth?
Estimates place his net worth between $10 million and $16 million based on his NFL contracts, though no official audited figure has been published, so treat this as an approximation.
Where is Darius Slayton from?
He is from Norcross, Georgia, and attended Greater Atlanta Christian School before playing college football at Auburn University.
Is Darius Slayton the same person as Darius Slay?
No. Darius Slayton is a wide receiver formerly with the New York Giants, while Darius Slay is a cornerback who played for the Lions, Eagles, and Steelers. The two are frequently confused online because of their similar names, but they are unrelated players with separate families.
Wrap-Up
Darius Slayton’s story right now is really two stories at once. On the field, his release closes out an eight-year run with the only NFL team he’d ever known, a run that started as a fifth-round afterthought and turned into one of the more productive stretches by a Giants receiver in recent memory. Off the field, he’s newly married to one of the most decorated heptathletes in American track and field, and that side of his life has been getting just as much attention as his football career.
What happens next for Slayton on the football side is still unwritten. He’s a free agent heading into a season that’s already underway around the league, and his next move will likely come together quickly given how the NFL calendar works. Readers who want the most current information should watch for official team announcements rather than early rumors, since roster moves like this tend to develop fast in the days right after a release.
For now, what’s confirmed is straightforward: a productive career in New York has ended, a marriage to an Olympic champion is official, and the next chapter of his football career is still being written. This page will reflect updates as new, verified information becomes available.
Thomas Andrew is the founder of Odubio.com, a digital platform sharing inspiring biographies, news, and stories about global icons and achievers.