DARREN WALLER ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT…
As had been expected, tight end Darren Waller has informed the New York Giants that he intends to retire from the NFL. This announcement came in advance of the 2-day, mandatory mini-camp that begins on Tuesday.
“The passion has slowly been fading. I’ve, you know, made the decision that I’ll be retiring from the NFL,” Waller said in YouTube video. “Eternally grateful for the game of football.”
The Giants reacted by issuing a brief public statement: “We have great respect for Darren as a person and player. We wish him nothing but the best.”
Waller had three years left on his current 4-year, $51 million contract that the Giants restructured last March. In terms of salary-cap ramifications, the Giants will gain $11.625 million in space against the 2024 cap with $2.458 million in dead money in 2024 and $4.917 million in dead money in 2025.
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.
PRESEASON SCHEDULE RELEASED…
The New York Giants preseason schedule has been officially released. For details, see the Schedule section of the website.
