The Indianapolis Colts' new wide receiver knows a thing or two about the team's quarterback. That's because Daniel Jones and the recently signed Darius Slayton were teammates on the New York Giants for five-plus seasons, from 2019-24. Now reunited, the veteran wide receiver thinks he and the team's signal-caller, who were each part of the Giants' 2019 NFL Draft class, fit like a glove.
"[I] really enjoyed playing alongside him [Jones]. He's a good quarterback. He's smart.
He can spin it. … Philosophically, I think we see the field pretty similarly, and that's something that worked well for us in the past," Slayton said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, per the Colts' team website. "And I expect it to work well for us going forward." Slayton also expressed that he expects the Colts' offense to look as "sharp" as it did when they began last season 8-2.
Indianapolis signed Slayton earlier this week in the wake of wide receiver Alec Pierce aggravating a heel issue in the team's Week 2 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that he had surgery for in the offseason, which has put Pierce on injured reserve. "Sunday night [against the Chiefs] they didn't get the win, but I feel like they played really well," Slayton said of the Colts. "They're a good unit.
I saw that Pierce went down — obviously, I wasn't cheering for that. But I knew that kind of would provide some opportunity here as well." Despite entering the second season of a three-year, $36 million deal, Slayton was released by the Giants on Sept. 7.
Last year, Slayton totaled 37 receptions for 538 yards – 14.5 yards per reception – and one touchdown, a career low. Over his seven-year career, Slayton has averaged 42.3 receptions for 633.6 yards (15.0 yards per reception) and 3.1 touchdowns per season. He has tallied 700-plus receiving yards in four seasons and brought down a career-high eight touchdowns in his 2019 rookie campaign.
Furthermore, 18 of Slayton's 22 career touchdowns have been 20-plus-yard scores. Through two games, the Colts' offense is tied for 25th in the NFL in passing yards (179.5 per game), 21st outright in total yards (290.0 per game), tied for 15th in rushing yards (110.5 per game) and tied for 10th in points (26.5 per game). Jones has totaled 376 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a 79.8 passer rating, while completing 66.1% of his passes.
Prior to suffering a torn Achilles tendon in Week 14 of last season, Jones threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and posted a career-best 100.2 passer rating and 68.0% completion percentage. His six-year stint in New York was highlighted by helping the Giants reach the NFC Divisional round in the 2022 season. At the same time, Jones' time with the Giants included a 24-44-1 regular-season record, a combined 84.3 passer rating, season-ending injuries in 2021 (neck) and 2023 (torn ACL) and being released by the franchise during the 2024 season.
Indianapolis is off to an 0-2 start, previously losing at home to the Baltimore Ravens, 41-23, before its brutal, Week 2 overtime loss to Kansas City (33-30). The Colts host the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon in a matchup between two 0-2 teams.
