The Los Angeles Rams are facing a shortage of healthy wide receivers ahead of their November 15 game against the Arizona Cardinals. With Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Jordan Whittington on injured reserve, quarterback Matthew Stafford will be without the team’s top three receivers.
Free-agent wide receiver Darius Slayton has been suggested as a possible veteran addition. Slayton, 29, has 4,435 career receiving yards and could offer experience while the Rams wait for key players to return.
## Slayton Could Give the Rams an Experienced Option
Los Angeles and the Pittsburgh Steelers have been identified as potential landing spots for Slayton following the NFL trade deadline. The Rams would not need to give up draft picks to sign him because he is an unrestricted free agent.
Slayton spent seven seasons with the New York Giants after being selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He recorded 296 catches for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging 15 yards per reception. His best season came in 2023, when he posted 770 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
His production dropped in 2025, when he finished with 37 receptions for 538 yards and one touchdown in 14 games. The Giants released him on September 7, ending his seven-year tenure with the team. He later signed with the Indianapolis Colts but did not earn a role on offense. Indianapolis released him on October 16, and he has remained unsigned.
Slayton has not played an NFL snap this season, so how quickly he could contribute is uncertain. Still, his experience could be useful to a Rams team dealing with significant injuries at receiver. There has been no reported contact between Slayton and Los Angeles.
## Rams Adjust to Injuries at Wide Receiver
The Rams placed Nacua on injured reserve on November 12 after he sustained knee and toe injuries against Washington. The move means he cannot return before Week 15. Head coach Sean McVay said the team needed an additional roster spot to address its receiver shortage.
Los Angeles promoted Brennan Presley from its practice squad and added Tyler Scott to the practice squad. The team’s active receivers include Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield, CJ Daniels Jr., Xavier Smith and Presley.
Adams could return for the Rams’ Week 13 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Until then, Stafford will be without his leading targets against Arizona and Green Bay. Los Angeles explored trades for a receiver before the deadline but did not make a deal. Whether the team pursues Slayton or another veteran may depend on how its makeshift receiving group performs against the Cardinals.
