Jalin Hyatt, a wide receiver with the New York Giants, did not gain anything from Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
Despite having great expectations before into the season, Hyatt, a former standout for the Tennessee Vols, has seldom played for the Giants in 2024.
Through the first nine games of the season, the South Carolina native has only caught one pass for six yards.
Hyatt only saw four snaps in the Giants’ defeat to the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Hyatt did not play a single snap against the Pittsburgh Steelers the week before.
There was some expectation that the Giants will either sell the former Vol before the deadline or trade veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton (who is essentially preventing Hyatt from playing time at this point) because it appears clear that New York has no interest in playing Hyatt this season.
However, the Giants did not do either of those things. Even though Slayton will be a free agent following the 2024 season, they maintained him and did not trade Hyatt.
I can not emphasize enough how foolish New York’s decision was. Even if the former Vol is not being used, there is no reason to trade him right now, so I understand why the Giants did not trade Hyatt—they traded up to choose him in 2023—but I do not understand why they kept Slayton.
Unless the Giants pull off eight consecutive victories, which is extremely impossible, they will not be making it to the playoffs. handed that a contender would have most certainly handed Slayton a mid- to late-round selection pick, why keep him? In addition to giving Hyatt a chance to play more, New York might have exchanged Slayton for an additional draft pick. To just stand by and do nothing is absurd.
There’s no doubt that Hyatt is eager to play. And after the way he was praised by the Giants’ coaching staff for his hard work all offseason, there’s no doubt that Hyatt deserves to play.
The Giants had an incredible opportunity to move Hyatt’s development along while adding a draft pick and they blew it.
There’s no mystery as to why the Giants are living in the basement of the NFC East.
