The Giants placed Waller on the reserve/retired list Monday, Howard Balzer of GoPHNX.com reports. Waller informed New York of his intent to retire Sunday, and the team has wasted little time in officially putting the transaction forth. The 31-year-old's retirement frees up $11.9 million in cap space for the Giants this season, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com, but it leaves the team with $6.6 million in dead money both this year and in 2025. Waller's lone season in New York produced just 552 yards plus one touchdown across 12 games, but he'll best be remembered for a phenomenal two-year stretch from 2019-20, when as a standout for the Raiders he exceeded 1,100 receiving yards twice and combined for 12 touchdowns on 197 catches.
Darren Waller
TE
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Darren Waller Career Stats
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Career Stats - Rushing
CARYDSAVGTDLNGFDFUM3268.702103Career Stats - Receiving
RECTGTSYDSAVGTDLNGYAC3505014,12490.52075324.7Rushing
Season CAR YDS AVG TD LNG FD FUM 2023 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2022 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2021 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2020 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2019 2 5 2.5 0 7 0 1 2018 1 21 21 0 21 0 0 2016 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2015 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Receiving
Season REC TGTS YDS AVG TD LNG YAC 2023 52 74 552 10.6 1 29 46 2022 28 43 388 13.9 3 34 43.1 2021 55 93 665 12.1 2 33 60.5 2020 107 145 1,196 11.2 9 38 74.8 2019 90 117 1,145 12.7 3 75 71.6 2018 6 6 75 12.5 0 44 18.8 2016 10 17 85 8.5 2 15 7.1 2015 2 6 18 9 0 17 3 -
Career Stats - Rushing
CARYDSAVGTDLNGFDFUM0000000Career Stats - Receiving
RECTGTSYDSAVGTDLNGYAC7127610.902376Rushing
Season CAR YDS AVG TD LNG FD FUM 2021 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Receiving
Season REC TGTS YDS AVG TD LNG YAC 2021 7 12 76 10.9 0 23 76
Darren Waller Player Profile
Birthdate
9/13/1992 (31)
Status
Retired
HT/WT
6'6", 238 lbs
Draft Info
2015: Rd 6; Pk (BAL)
Birthplace
Acworth, GA, USA
Position
TE
College
Georgia Tech
Experience
8 seasons
Career History
New York Giants
2023-2024
(1 season)
Las Vegas Raiders
2020-2023
(3 seasons)
Baltimore Ravens
2015-2017, 2018-2018
(3 seasons)
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Darren Waller Latest News
Retirement made official
The Giants placed Waller on the reserve/retired list Monday, Howard Balzer of GoPHNX.com reports. Waller informed New York of his intent to retire Sunday, and the team has wasted little time in officially putting the transaction forth. The 31-year-old's retirement frees up $11.9 million in cap space for the Giants this season, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com, but it leaves the team with $6.6 million in dead money both this year and in 2025. Waller's lone season in New York produced just 552 yards plus one touchdown across 12 games, but he'll best be remembered for a phenomenal two-year stretch from 2019-20, when as a standout for the Raiders he exceeded 1,100 receiving yards twice and combined for 12 touchdowns on 197 catches.
Informs team of intent to retire
Waller informed the Giants on Sunday that he plans to retire, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Waller had been contemplating retirement since shortly after the Giants' season ended in January, and it became more apparent in recent weeks that he was leaning toward hanging up his cleats. The veteran tight end didn't attend OTAs, and the organization was well aware that he was potentially not returning for the 2024 campaign. Waller is walking away from the NFL at the age of 31 having played eight seasons in the league -- two with the Ravens, five with the Raiders and one with the Giants. He accumulated 350 career receptions for 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns over 86 regular-season games. New York drafted Theo Johnson in the fourth round of this April's draft, and he'll presumably compete with 2022 fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger for the team's lead role at tight end.
Likely announcing retirement soon
The Giants expect Waller to announce his retirement within the next week or so, ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan reports. The team anticipates an announcement before mandatory minicamp June 11-13, with sources close to Waller suggesting he's leaning toward retirement. He said Friday that a decision is coming soon, and he's been busy off the field working on his music career and finalizing a divorce. Waller missed five or more games each of the past three seasons and thus finished with no more than 665 yards or three TDs. He had back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2019-20 with the Raiders, peaking at 107-1,196-9 in 2020. If Waller has a late change of heart and decides to play another season, he'll be part of a New York offense that signed three guards in free agency and drafted WR Malik Nabers sixth overall, though the QB situations remains as shaky as ever with Daniel Jones recovering from an ACL tear and Drew Lock taking first-team reps this spring. Daniel Bellinger, Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz give the Giants capable blockers at tight end, while incoming fourth-round pick Theo Johnson has the speed (4.57 40) and size (6-6, 259) to develop into a receiving threat. Waller will turn 32 in September, five days after the Giants' season opener against Minnesota.
Not at OTAs
Coach Brian Daboll relayed Thursday that Waller remains absent from the Giants' OTAs, Pat Leonard of the Daily News reports. Waller's absence isn't surprising given that he's considering retirement, but Daboll indicated that the Giants plan to give the 31-year-old tight end the time he needs to make a call on his plans for 2024."[We will] let Darren take what [time] he needs to take, and once the decision is made, we'll go from there," Daboll noted Thursday. If Waller elects not to play this season, Daniel Bellingerwould be the next man up in a TE corps that also currently includes Theo Johnson, Jack Stoll, Chris Manhertz, Lawrence Cager and Tyree Jackson.
Should decide on retirement soon
Waller said Wednesday that he's still undecided on retirement but will make a decision "pretty soon," Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports. While he doesn't expect to decide before the start of the 2024 league year March 11, the 31-year-old tight end said he doesn't want it become "this drawn-out thing" and will give the Giants time to adjust if they end up needing to replace him. If he waits too long the team might take the decision out of his hands, as Waller doesn't have any guarantees remaining on his contract and is scheduled for at least $12 million in compensation each of the next three seasons. The Giants can free up $11.625 million in cap space by declaring Waller as a post-June 1 release, though multiple reports have suggested they'd rather have him back. The tight end was on pace to catch 85 passes for 923 yards through seven games in 2023 before a Week 8 hamstring injury derailed his season and led to a third straight year with at least five missed games. He had 2,341 yards and 12 TDs in 32 games between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, compared to 1,605 yards and six TDs in 32 games over the past three years combined.
Not certain to return after all
Waller still hasn't decided whether he will return to the Giants for the 2024 season or retire, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports. Early Friday, news emerged that Waller had contemplated retirement during the offseason but ultimately decided to return. However, the veteran tight end subsequently texted the Post to explain that, despite those reports, he is undecided about retirement. New York gave up a third-round draft pick to acquire Waller from the Raiders in March of 2023, and it's safe to assume that the organization was expecting to get more than one season out of him when making that deal. If Waller does decide to retire, it would be a significant blow to the Giants' air attack, as he ranked second on the team with 52 catches and 552 receiving yards last season despite playing in only 12 games.
Expected back in New York for 2024
Waller thought about retiring earlier this offseason, but he'll continue playing football and isn't expected to be a cap casualty, Paul Schwartz and Ryan Dunleavy of the NY Post report. A midseason hamstring injury cost Waller five games in 2023, his first year with the Giants and third straight season missing at least five contests. He has three years remaining on his contract but no salary guarantees, with the Giants able to add around $11.6 million in 2024 cap space by declaring the tight end as a post-June 1 cut (or waiting until June to trade him). It sounds like player and team want to give things another shot in New York, hoping Waller can stay relatively healthy for the first time since 2020 even though he'll turn 32 in September. He was on pace to catch 85 passes for 923 yards through seven games in 2023 before the hamstring injury derailed his season Week 8. Waller missed the next five games and then played less than two-thirds of snaps on offense in each of the final four weeks of the season.
Won't play Sunday
Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com previously reported Wednesday that Waller could be facing a multi-week absence, and the fact that the tight end has already been deemed out for Sunday's game confirms that his status beyond Week 9 is cloudy. As long as Waller is sidelined, Daniel Bellinger is in line to see an uptick in snaps as the Giants' top option at tight end.
Injures hamstring Sunday
Before his departure from the contest, Waller caught one of his two targets for four yards. With Waller done for the day, Daniel Bellinger is slated to handle the Giants' Week 8 tight end duties.