The Indianapolis Colts thought that Darius Slayton would solve some of their talent and injury issues at wide receiver.
He didn’t.
The Colts announced on Friday that they’ve released Slayton.
He heads back to free agency without having ever played a game for Indianapolis.
It all seemed so logical when the Colts signed him. Slayton had been cut by the New York Giants at the end of the preseason, but that had followed a number of solid seasons there, and he still wasn’t even 30.
He had also played with Daniel Jones when Danny Dimes had been the Giants’ QB, so there was some logical expectation of chemistry there.
The Colts had just lost Alec Pierce to a heel injury a couple days before the Slayton signing, and Pierce went on IR. It seemed like Slayton might progress to temporarily filling in for him.
Instead, the Colts release Slayton before he ever takes a snap in a game for Indy.
Why Did Colts Release Darius Slayton?
There’s no straightforward answer here, but it appears Slayton never did enough to force the Colts to put him on the field.
It was reasonable that he didn’t play in the first week when he was signed, as he had to learn how Indianapolis operates.
A quote in the first 10 days after Slayton arrived by head coach Shane Steichen, about Slayton needing to get in shape after not being with a team for three weeks, may have been the first sign of trouble.
Slayton had the potential to play last week, maybe, but then he got hurt in practice, damaging his chances even more.
This is what Colts beat writer Stephen Holder of ESPN wrote on X on Friday morning:
The handwriting was on the wall here. He’s been here a month and never saw the field. Back to the drawing board at wide receiver.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) October 16, 2026
If Slayton had been ready to help the Colts, he would’ve been on the field.
What Now?
The Colts have to figure out the wide receiver position from here, and it won’t be easy.
Pierce is still injured, although they likely hope he can return sooner rather than later.
Keenan Allen has been playing through injury and could also be facing a suspension at some point.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Colts at least consider another veteran free agent.
They also might start using seventh-round rookie Deion Burks more on regular routes than just gadget plays — there’s been a hint of that with the speedster over the past couple weeks.
Slayton wasn’t going to be a total savior, but he seemed to have the potential to help, and that never materialized.
Why Colts Cut Ties With Darius Slayton Despite No Games Played