Giants Get Huge Update on WR Darius Slayton Before Eagles Game
The New York Giants are getting some help at the receiver position.
According to Pat Leonard with the NY Daily News, Darius Slayton is expected to play Sunday, when the Giants are at the Philadelphia Eagles.
Slayton has been sidelined for the Giants’ last two games due to a hamstring injury. He showed some progress last week by participating in limited practice, but was ultimately ruled out for their matchup against the Denver Broncos.
GettyEAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 28: Darius Slayton #18 of the New York Giants runs against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half in the game at MetLife Stadium on September 28, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Giants Lost Nabers Early But Have Found Some Success
The Giants have been operating with a depleted wide receiver corps in recent weeks. Superstar Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4, and Slayton has been sidelined since Week 5. Hamstring injuries can be difficult for skill-position players to overcome, but Slayton appears close to returning. In his absence, Lil’Jordan Humphrey has been promoted from the practice squad, and other receivers have stepped into larger roles. Now that Slayton is back, Humphrey may return to the practice squad. Pro Football Network currently ranks Slayton as the 55th-best receiver in the league.
Despite playing with one of the NFL’s weakest wide receiver groups, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has been impressive since taking over for Russell Wilson, posting a 2-2 record with ten total touchdowns. Slayton’s return gives Dart a significant boost as a legitimate vertical threat. Jalin Hyatt has tried to fill that role but has struggled, totaling just 17 receiving yards. Slayton, on the other hand, accumulated 166 yards in the four games and trails only Wan’Dale Robinson on the active roster in yards per game.
Giants Make Declaration on Other Key Injuries
Giants’ kicker Graham Gano (groin) and outside linebacker Brian Burns (hip) are listed as questionable ahead of Sunday’s game, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
But Gano was asked on video in the locker room on Friday if was ready to go on Sunday and he answered, “Yes.”
Gano’s replacement, Jude McAtamney, missed two extra point field goals against the Broncos.
“It tough. I love the guy. He works hard,” Gano said of McAtamney. “People don’t see that, how hard he works. He’s been hitting the ball great it was just a tough time to have a bad day.”
Burns returned to practice on Friday. The pass rusher is in his second season with the Giants after being traded from the Carolina Panthers and has started all seven games this season. He’s recorded 34 tackles, nine sacks (tied for the NFL lead), 12 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, 19 pressures, five hurries, and four pass deflections.
His performance has earned him an 80.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 18th among 113 qualified edge defenders. The Giants will face an Eagles offensive line that has struggled to protect its quarterback, allowing the seventh-most sacks (21) in the league.
This is an area the Giants can exploit, and having Burns on the field would be a significant advantage.
Nico Hoerner And Cubs Claim Prestigious Defensive Awards
The Chicago Cubs had one of the finest defensive seasons in Major League Baseball in 2025. In the eyes of one publication, they were the best.
The Fielding Bible has been presenting awards for the league’s top defensive players for the past 20 years. In 2023, the publication added a defensive player of the year. This season, it added a defensive team of the year. The Cubs earned the team award, while second baseman Nico Hoerner was also selected for a position award.
The Cubs reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020 by claiming a National League wild card berth. They defeated the San Diego Padres in the wild card round before losing a five-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers in the division series. The Brewers went on to lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
In winning the site’s first team-based award, the Fielding Bible pointed out that the Cubs had 84 total defensive runs saved. The only team better in the category was the Texas Rangers at 89. The Rangers set a Major League record for fielding percentage in a season.
In giving the award to the Cubs, Fielding Bible’s editorial lead Mark Simon wrote that Chicago was the only team with a positive DRS from eight of its nine defensive positions. Right field was the only one not in the positive.
That included Hoerner, who led all second basemen in DRS. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, considered one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, was second in DRS at his position. Left field Ian Happ and starting pitcher Matthew Boyd were third in DRS at their positions while third baseman Matt Shaw was fourth.
That balance won out over the Rangers’ historic fielding percentage and league-leading DRS.
"Cubs management built a team that prides itself in defensive excellence and that showed up all over the field," Simon wrote. "They were especially strong up the middle and at some of the game's most important positions.”
Not surprisingly, six Cubs are finalists for National League Gold Gloves, with the awards to be announced next month. Chicago finalists include Hoerner, Shaw, Happ, Boyd, Crow-Armstrong and catcher Carson Kelly,
In selecting Hoerner, he became the second Cubs second baseman to win the award, along with Darwin Barney in 2012. Hoerner had 17 DRS to lead all second baseman and charged an MLB-best 15 plays saved better than the average second baseman on balls hit to his right, per Fielding Bible.
