Giants Add Special Teams Coach; Darren Waller Considering Retirement

Cam Achord – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS ADD SPECIAL TEAMS COACH…
The New York Giants have hired Cam Achord as assistant special teams coach. He will serve under new Special Teams Coordinator Michael Ghobrial. The 37-year old Achord was the special teams coordinator for the New England Patriots for the past four seasons. Ironically, he was promoted to the position when then Special Teams Coordinator Joe Judge was hired by the Giants as their new head coach in 2020.

Achord’s full coaching bio is available in the Coaching Staff section of the website.

DARREN WALLER CONSIDERING RETIREMENT…
The New York Post is reporting that tight end Darren Waller is considering retirement. Waller is only 31 years old but he has battled injuries the last few years. “I have not made a decision either way,” Waller told The Post. Waller has three years left on his current contract with annual salary figure of $10,525,000, $11,525,000, and $13,525,000. He will count $14 million against the 2024 salary cap if he plays. If he retires, it would create $7,868,000 in dead money.

The Giants acquired Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2023 in exchange for a 3rd-round pick. Waller was a daily standout in training camp and it was anticipated that he would be the centerpiece of the passing offense. However, right before the season, Waller appeared on the injury report with a left hamstring injury, the same injury that wiped out much of his 2022 season the Raiders. While Waller did not miss any early games and was leading the team in receptions, the injury seemed to negatively affect his play and overall impact. Worse, Waller injured the right hamstring in Week 8, an injury that caused him to be placed on Injured Reserve and miss five games. He later returned to play the last four games of the season.

In all, Waller played in 12 games, with 11 starts, and finished the year with 52 catches and 552 yards, both numbers being second-best on the team. However, he only had one touchdown. The 6’6”, 238-pound Waller was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He has spent time with both the Ravens (2015-2018) and Raiders (2018-2022). His best two seasons were 2019-2020, when he caught an incredible 197 passes for 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, Waller has missed 18 regular-season games the past three seasons with injuries, specifically ankle and knee sprain injuries in 2021 and hamstring issues in 2022 and 2023.