The Daniel Jones era is officially over for the New York Giants, and as they search for a new franchise quarterback, they’ll look to surround him with as much talent as possible.

Yet, it seems increasingly likely that receiver Darius Slayton won’t be a piece of that puzzle.

Slayton had long been Jones’ preferred target and was a safe bet to secure 700 yards in any given season, doing so in four of his six seasons with the Giants.

However, Slayton reached an unsatisfying end to his contract negotiations in the summer, reworking bonuses that quarterback play prevented him from maximizing in 2024. Now in line for a raise, greener pastures will be present on the open market. Expect him to take full advantage.

The Giants veteran was predicted to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency in CBS Sports’ recent exploration of the upcoming offseason.

“The veteran Slayton needs a change of scenery, and what better offense to join than the one led by Patrick Mahomes? Slayton burst onto the NFL scene with 740 yards receiving and eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2019, and is the only receiver in Giants franchise history to lead the team in receiving yards in four out of his first five seasons,” Jordan Dajani wrote. “Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Darius Slayton would be a solid wide receiving corps.”

Slayton is a strong fit for a handful of reasons, chief among them (no pun intended) being the lack of explosive plays the offense generated. That was a sacrifice Kansas City made when it traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, and the offense has obviously been able to succeed without it. But Slayton brings a vertical element to the passing offense that it has lacked, doing his best work far from the line of scrimmage.

With Slayton stretching the field, Rice running option routes from the slot, and Worthy as a movable perimeter threat, there’s reason to believe the offense would be even more potent with Slayton in the fold.

It’s also worth noting that Slayton could benefit from better quarterback play. He posted only 573 yards and two touchdowns in 2024 as he dealt with poor play under center.

Mahomes, meanwhile, is the best quarterback in football, offering both strong production and a perpetual chance at a Super Bowl. Much like running back Saquon Barkley for the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s hard to see him returning if the money is similar.

It seems like Slayton’s time with the Giants is up. If that turns out to be true, he’ll have finished his six seasons in New York with 259 catches for 3,897 yards and 21 touchdowns. It would also make defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence the lone remnant from the organization’s 2019 draft class.