The wide receiver situation with the Indianapolis Colts has been dramatic, and it has taken another wild turn. Indy brought in veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton after the team’s leading receiver, Alec Pierce, went down with an injury and was placed on injured reserve. Slayton, meanwhile, had just been let go by the New York Giants and landed in Indianapolis after almost 15 days. But while the Colts had agreed to terms with him, Slayton is no longer part of the franchise.
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The Colts have released Slayton just weeks after signing him for the 2026 season, per the team’s official account on X. That means the 29-year-old wide receiver has once again become a free agent and will be looking for a new home. His release is particularly notable considering the Colts brought him in after Pierce’s injury but didn’t start him in a single game before letting him go.
Pierce had signed a four-year, $114 million contract extension earlier this offseason after the receiver recorded the first 1,000+ yard season of his career. In the Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, however, he went down with an ankle injury and was subsequently placed on the injured reserve.
Slayton, meanwhile, was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft, and he went on to spend seven seasons with the team. Across seven seasons, he recorded 296 catches for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns. But with time, his production started to dip, especially in the 2025 season, when he recorded 538 yards and just 1 touchdown.
At the same time, he also dealt with a health complication, as he underwent core-muscle surgery earlier this offseason. After a below-par training camp and preseason, the Giants released him. And while the Colts certainly brought him on the roster, Darius Slayton didn’t start a single game despite Pierce being on the IR.
However, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was one of the other reasons why the team brought Slayton on the roster in the first place. Slayton spent multiple seasons catching passes from Jones. He caught 181 passes for 2,595 yards and scored 12 touchdowns on passes from Jones. In Indy, however, he couldn’t get an opportunity to play with his former quarterback again.
When asked about it, Slayton cited his health issues as the reason not to start for Indy.
“When I signed, I felt like I was ready to go and I’d be able to participate the first week I signed here,” Slayton said earlier this month. “But at the same time, obviously, I got into practice that week, and (coach Shane Steichen) and everybody else felt like, ‘Hey, let’s give you more time.’ And I don’t disagree with that synopsis. At the end of the day, it’s been a good thing for me to have this extra time to acclimate.”
Subsequently, the Colts ruled him out for the Week 5 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a knee issue. And ahead of the Week 6 matchup, he is no longer on the roster. Now, it remains to be seen whether any other team will sign Darius Slayton this season, considering the wide receiver is still young and hasn’t even turned 30.