Throughout much of the offseason, the future of Darren Waller has been in question. The veteran tight end has been expected to retire for some time, though, and to little surprise that is the direction he has elected to move in.
Waller has informed the Giants he will hang up his cleats, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The 31-year-old made it clear he would make a final decision no later than the break between mandatory minicamp and training camp. With the final aspect of New York’s offseason program set to take place over the coming days, the team can now move forward knowing Waller will not be in the fold.
The former Pro Bowler faced major expectations upon his arrival with the Giants, which came about last offseason via trade. He was attached to a three-year, $51MM pact, but much of that will now come off the books given this decision. Waller’s retirement will create roughly $11.6MM in cap space while incurring a dead money charge of just over $2.4MM in 2024 and ’25. Given the nature of the free agent market at this time of year, of course, the team will be hard-pressed to find a starting-caliber replacement.
Plenty of snaps will be available to 2022 fourth-rounder Daniel Bellinger once again. He served as New York’s starter as a rookie, but his role diminished last season with Waller in place. The Giants added Theo Johnson in the fourth round of this year’s draft, and he will aim to carve out at least a rotational place in the team’s offensive plans. Veterans Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz are also in the picture at the tight end spot.
Waller began his career as a sixth-round pick in 2015. His Ravens tenure consisted of sparse usage and a one-year suspension in 2017 for a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. After joining the Raiders, however, he saw a major uptick in production. During the 2019 campaign, the Georgia Tech product posted 1,145 yards. He followed that up with a 107-1,196-9 statline one year later, cementing his status as one of the top pass-catching options at the position around the league. Hamstring injuries became a problem over the past three years, however.
Over time, the missed action increasingly became an issue for the Raiders, and Waller’s injuries were a key factor in the decision to find a trade partner. The Giants paid only a compensatory third-round pick to acquire him last March, but Waller’s tenure in the Big Apple will go down as a notable disappointment. Injury consideration was a central component of his decision-making process with respect to attempting at least one more year in the league, something which would have seen him receive as much as $12MM.
Instead, Waller will call it a career after eight seasons and nine years in the NFL. With over $42MM in career earnings, he will now turn his attention to his post-playing endeavors. The Giants, meanwhile, will prepare for training camp with added financial flexibility but a vacancy on the TE depth chart.
He’s been retired for about 5 years
Time for the Steelers to trade one of their 6 TE. Maybe with a pick swap too and move up in some later rounds.
Shocking.
Not a big loss at all. The $11mm+ in cap savings will help and now the TE room will be set and players will be able to see what their role is for the season.
I just hope that with his idle time, a bank account that’s full, his recent divorce and a history of drug abuse he doesn’t fall into a bad place and can enjoy the next phase that he goes into.
Their role is to watch Jones sail passes and scramble for his life. Meanwhile you haul rocks for a living.
What a loser……quit on the Raiders, got a new start, then quit on the Giants, pathetic…..had a world of talent, just too soft for the NFL
And you starred where? Did it ever occur to you he might have health issues or some other reason to retire? Besides he has enough money to live comfortably the rest of his life.
That seems unnecessarily harsh. If he didn’t want to play anymore, he has a right not to. It doesn’t make him a “loser.” Pro football is hard, and it takes a toll. Injuries happen.
I would love to see you play one game at that level and see if you feel the same way at the end. I’d pay to watch it.
Someone must have lost in their fantasy football pool because they picked Waller as their TE or something.
@jo – surprised you didn’t mention he quit on his wife, too.
Any player getting out of the rotten apple and the horrendously run giants should be congratulated. Daniel Jones? Pathetic.
That’s why I’m interested in Adoree Jackson for the Raiders. Looks like a good change of scenery candidate.
Sad to see him go. It was a honor to attend the same high school as him and see him make it to the league.
I’m going to say this with all honesty I don’t care
as a giant fan I’ll say this honestly I could care less and don’t think I’ll notice
Good career, injuries took a toll, would have liked to have seen him healthy in NY but it is what it is.
Waste of a 3rd round pick, though. Shoen got fleeced on that deal, another knock on his lackluster tenure.
I’m not sure he got fleeced. The good Waller was an excellent player. I was fine with seeing him leaving the Raiders, but it could’ve worked out well for the Giants.
It was a coin flip. 2 years and 1600 yards overall, or one 1000 yard season in there – both #’s well within Waller’s previous production – and Schoen looks like a genius.
It was at the bottom of the 3rd round since it was a KC compensation draft pick. I would not call that a fleecing given his potential.
The Giants are lacking in depth all over. They got an end of the line tight end for one season.
3rd round any position could have been developed. I agree on paper, not a bad deal, I liked it at the time. But I don’t think anyone would knowingly invest a top 100 pick for 12 games. Nah mean?
And since that’s impossible to know and predict, I give the Giants a mulligan on this one.
Haha….I was a bit harsh, my apologies, he had the talent just not the passion, hate to see a talent like that not reach his potential
He did reach his potential, if only for a few years. I think the injuries, and the Raiders woeful production for a couple of years, just took its toll.
Meanwhile, Mercedes Lewis signs for a 37th year at age 59. Dude just won’t go away.
LOL. Lewis has 10 catches in the past 2 years despite playing in all 34 regular season games. 3 of those were TD’s so he probably took about 7 hits? Brady already proved if no one hits you that you can play forever.
He only had 2 good years in 9