A young New York Giants wide receiver is denying a report that he wants to be traded due to lack of playing time, claiming somebody’s out to get him.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported Friday that Jalin Hyatt, a third-round pick out of Tennessee in the 2023 NFL Draft, said during one training camp practice that if the Giants weren’t going to use him, they should trade him elsewhere. This allegedly happened when Hyatt fell down in the depth chart.
Speaking with reporters Friday, Hyatt called it a “fake story.”
“I didn’t say that. I don’t know where it came from,” Hyatt said after practice, via the New York Post. “That’s false. I love being here. [GM] Joe [Schoen] and Dabes [coach Brian Daboll], I got so much respect for them, trading up for me, so whatever that rumor was, it’s not true.
“So I feel like it’s a fake story, I feel like somebody’s out to get me or something. I didn’t say anything about not wanting to be here.”
Giants head coach comments on alleged trade request
ESPN reported that Hyatt was originally the Giants’ No. 2 receiver during the summer, but things changed when he fell behind Darius Slayton on the depth chart in late August. Giants head coach Brian Daboll said that it had nothing to do with Hyatt — it had to do with how Slayton was performing.
“Again, that’s not because of Jalin Hyatt,” Daboll explained to ESPN. “[Slayton] is doing a nice job with his opportunities of doing the things that he needs to do. And then we sprinkle in Hyatt in particular plays. And then [rookie wide receiver Malik] Nabers is … he’s been on the field most of the time … [Hyatt will] be ready to go when his number is called.”
When asked by the Post if Hyatt had asked for a trade, Daboll said the young receiver never told him that.
“Jalin is probably one of the closer guys I am with on this team,” Daboll explained to the Post.
The Giants traded up in the third-round to select Hyatt last year. He finished his rookie season with 23 catches for 373 yards. In the first two games of 2024, Hyatt has only been targeted once. He has yet to record an NFL touchdown.
Hyatt will be looking to step up as the 0-2 Giants face the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday.
