Tag: Darren Waller

Tight end Darren Waller retires after one season with Giants

Darren Waller is retiring after eight NFL seasons

The Darren Waller experience with the New York Giants lasted one fruitless season.

The tight end has decided to retire after eight NFL campaigns, the last with Big Blue.

Waller played in 12 games for the Giants, making 52 catches for 552 yards and one touchdown pass.

His first two seasons were with the Baltimore Ravens. He had 12 catches with the AFC North team.

Waller joined the Raiders and made six catches in 2018 before blossoming over 2019 and ’20.

In those two years, he had 197 catches for more than 2,300 yards.

His stats dropped in the final two seasons with the Raiders prior to joining the Giants.

Waller has been in the news this offseason for his divorce from WNBA star Kelsey Plum.

Giants tight end Darren Waller retiring from NFL

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller has informed the team he is retiring from football a year after being acquired in a trade.

The wait is over. New York Giants tight end Darren Waller has announced his retirement from the NFL.

“We have great respect for Darren as a person and player. We wish him nothing but the best,” the Giants said in a statement, via Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com.

The much-expected and highly anticipated announcement came after months of hedging on both sides. The 31-year-old former Pro Bowler cited several reasons for his decision, mainly health and personal.

“The passion has slowly been fading. I’ve, you know, made the decision that I’ll be retiring from the NFL,” Waller said in a YouTube video. “Eternally grateful for the game of football. I wouldn’t be able to have this conversation or to think things through or be self-reflective if it wasn’t for an opportunity to save my life and go to rehab, which the NFL offered me.”

Waller recently entered into a divorce from his wife of barely a year, WNBA star Kelsey Plum, and has been battling a chronic hamstring issue that once again kept him off the field for weeks at a time last season.

Waller was acquired by the Giants in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2023 in exchange for a third-round draft pick.

Waller, a nine-year veteran who began his career with the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, played in just 12 games for Big Blue last season, starting 11. He hauled in 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown.

Waller’s retirement frees up approximately $11.6 million in cap space for the Giants as he was scheduled to make $10.5 million with a $14.1 million cap number. The move will now only cost the Giants $2.5 million in dead cap money.

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Report: Giants expect TE Darren Waller to retire

The New York Giants reportedly expect tight end Darren Waller to call it quits ahead of mandatory minicamp on June 11-12.

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller said last week during an Instagram Live that he’s close to making a retirement decision and those inside the organization expect him to call it quits, reports ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

Waller’s final decision is likely to come ahead of the team’s mandatory minicamp on June 11-12.

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller is likely to make a decision by next week’s mandatory minicamp about his playing future and people in and around the team expect that he’s going to retire, multiple sources told ESPN. Those close to him believe he’s leaning in that direction.

In preparation for Waller’s anticipated retirement, the Giants signed tight ends Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz this offseason and selected Penn State’s Theo Johnson in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Giants acquired Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders in March of 2023 in exchange for a compensatory 2023 third-round pick (which the Raiders used to select Tre Tucker).

Despite his one injury-plagued season with the Giants and his uncertain future, general manager Joe Schoen said in January he didn’t regret the trade and would do it all again.

“He was still a productive part of our offense when available,” Schoen said. “I would do that again every day of the week.”

If Waller retires, it will free up $11.625 million in 2024 salary cap space for the Giants. However, they will be forced to eat a dead cap hit of $2.45 million this season and $5.91 million next season.

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Giants TE Darren Waller drops strange music video about recent divorce

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller has released a brand new music video depicting his divorce from WNBA star Kelsey Plum.

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller remains away from the team as he continues to ponder retirement but that hasn’t stopped him from working on other projects.

After helping draft prospects prepare for the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, news broke that Waller and his wife of one year, WNBA star Kelsey Plum, were headed for divorce.

That split inspired Waller to write and produce a new music video, which he officially released last week (although it only went viral on Thursday). It depicts the events and subsequent aftermath of his breakup with Plum, ending in a theoretical murder after she stabs him in the back.

At the original time of release, Waller explained on Instagram that he had been inspired to write a song from someone else’s perspective.

“On February 3, I felt a strong conviction to do something different. I’d never written a song from the perspective of someone else until this. There’s something extremely valuable (and quite humbling lol) about putting yourself in the shoes of those you have been intimate with and taking an honest look at yourself. The only result possible is growth,” Waller wrote.

The heavily auto-tuned song actually appears to be from Waller’s perspective, although it’s possible the roles were reversed in his mind as it was being created.

Either way, the lyrics and their intention were evident.

“Who knew that love could kill,” Waller sings in the video.

Waller, who has overcome substance abuse issues in the past, is the only Giants player not to appear in East Rutherford this spring. Despite that, head coach Brian Daboll continues to insist there’s no deadline for Waller to decide on his future.

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NFL tight end Darren Waller drops peculiar music video about divorce from Kelsey Plum

Giants TE Darren Waller releases a song about his divorce and it is strange, to say the least

No one seems to know if tight end Darren Waller will continue his football career with the New York Giants, or anyone else.

What seems certain is Waller’s marriage to WNBA star Kelsey Plum won’t be ongoing as they have filed for divorce.

Waller doesn’t seem to be taking the news too well as evidenced by the music video he dropped on Thursday.

It’s different and, um, difficult to enjoy.

Twitter reacted unkindly to the song.

The last word:

Darren Waller released a bizarre music video about his divorce from Kelsey Plum

Well, this is certainly a music video.

New York Giants tight end Darren Waller is opening up about his divorce from Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum in a very … unorthodox … way.

In one of the strangest music videos ever produced by an NFL player, Waller released a music video for “Who Knew (Her Perspective)” that deals with his breakup from Plum. It’s … a music video!

Autotuned and sung like Post Malone, Waller gives his lament on his former relationship the old college try. Whether or not it’s any good is really up to you. At the very least, the music video isn’t boring.

WARNING: There’s some NSFW language: 

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Giants’ Darren Waller ranked in middle of NFL’s tight end pack

Darren Waller of the New York Giants ranks near the middle of the NFL’s tight end pack entering the 2024 season (assuming he returns).

The future of New York Giants tight end Darren Waller remains uncertain, although that saga could soon be coming to an end as June 1 approaches.

Assuming Waller opts against retirement — something that seems unlikely as of this writing — where does he rank among NFL tight ends? Pro Football Focus puts him in the league’s bottom half, one off from the middle of the pack.

17. DARREN WALLER, NEW YORK GIANTS

After struggling with injuries in 2022, Waller was traded to the Giants ahead of the 2023 season, and he looked like his former self before getting the injury bug again. Waller produces when he is healthy, but he’s likely never going to replicate his incredible three-year stretch from 2019 to 2021, where he was one of the most dominant tight ends in the game.

Waller looked like a dominant offensive addition for the Giants throughout training camp last season, but injury issues once again limited his production.

In his first (and possibly only) season with the Giants, Waller hauled in 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown. He appeared in just 12 games, all starts.

Waller’s best performance came in a 14-7 victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 7 when he caught seven passes for 98 yards and his only score of the season.

A healthy, committed Waller would be ideal for the Giants in 2024 but both of those things are far from guaranteed.

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Future of Giants TE Darren Waller could be decided soon

With June 1 rapidly approaching, the saga of New York Giants TE Darren Waller could soon be coming to an end.

At the start of organized team activities (OTAs), New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll was still uncertain about the football future of star tight end Darren Waller.

“I would say the same thing I said last month, let Darren take what he needs to take and once the decision is made, we’ll go from there,” Daboll told reporters. “We have conversations, obviously, but when Darren makes his decision, that’s what we’ll go with.”

It might be possible the Giants won’t wait too much longer. June 1 is just days away, and although the team is leaving the decision in Waller’s hands, could simply cut him after Saturday and realize a 2024 cap benefit of nearly $11 million.

In a good show of faith, the team will likely wait until Waller decides but he really can’t take too much longer. His troubled hamstring is still in question and the Giants have already loaded up their tight end room in anticipation of him not returning.

General manager Joe Schoen signed veterans Chris Manhertz and Jack Stoll and then followed that up by selecting Penn State’s Theo Johnson in the fourth round of this year’s NFL draft.

Johnson is very Waller-like in size at 6-foot-6 and around 260 pounds and with some fast-track coaching could very well slide into the role Waller played last season.

Waller has to be seeing this but there doesn’t seem to be any additional urgency on either side to get this situation resolved.

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Darius Slayton, Darren Waller remain away from Giants

New York Giants TE Darren Waller and WR Darius Slayton remain away from the team as organized team activities (OTAs) roll on.

As the New York Giants continue to plow through their offseason workout program, two prominent offensive veterans remain absent.

Tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Darius Slayton were not in attendance again during Thursday’s practice at the Quest Diagnostics Training Canter.

Waller has been away from the team while he ponders his football future while Slayton is gunning for a contract extension. Last season, Waller was second on the team with 52 receptions. Slayton was third with 50.

“They are not. No,” said head coach Brian Daboll when asked if either player was in the building on Thursday.

The Giants are likely giving Waller until June 1 to make his decision as the salary cap charge situation changes then.

“I would say the same thing I said last month, let Darren take what he needs to take and once the decision is made, we’ll go from there,” Daboll said. “we have conversations, obviously, but when Darren makes his decision, that’s what we’ll go with.”

Slayton is on the second leg of a two-year, $12 million deal but wants the Giants to commit for longer as he had other opportunities last summer and chose to stay with the team.

“I’ve spoken to Slay,” said Daboll, who said the conversations have been ‘fine.’ “So, again, this is voluntary. If he wants to be here, great. If there’s anyone that doesn’t want to be here, that’s their choice, that’s why it’s voluntary.”

Slayton has been the Giants’ leading receiver since the team selected him out of Auburn in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft. They have been building up their wide receiver corps the past few seasons, so his importance has dwindled a bit heading into this offseason.

Daboll was asked if he saw any resolution to either situation anytime soon.

“I would say whenever they decide, they decide. Darius is obviously under contract, so, again, whenever it comes up, we’ll deal with it then,” he said.

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Theo Johnson believes he can be a ‘special player’ for Giants

New York Giants rookie TE Theo Johnson believes he can be a “special” player and that he’s only just scratching the surface of his potential.

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, got his first taste of East Rutherford earlier this week.

Johnson was among a horde attending the team’s annual rookie minicamp and the reality of his professional future finally set in.

“You know, you dream of playing for an NFL team, but actually having that ‘NY’ on your helmet, it’s a different feeling,” he told reporters.

As excited as Johnson is for the next phase of his career, he remains equally as confident. He believes he can adjust well to the NFL and develop into a “special” player for the Giants.

“It’s really exciting for me because I think I have a super high ceiling. I think I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I’m capable of. I’m really looking forward to proving every day that I’m out here,” he said. “I think I have tremendous room to improve. I think I can grow a lot more than where I’m at right now. I think that’s why I’m so excited.

“I’m coming in here with a learning mindset. I want to develop respect from my teammates and my coaches. I think that’s going to help me continue to grow and improve. But I’m super excited to get to work and get going here, because I think I have a potential to be a really special player here.”

How much of a role Johnson plays as a rookie will hinge on the future of veteran Darren Waller, who remains undecided about retirement two weeks after the draft.

Thus far, Johnson hasn’t heard a peep from Waller but would like to see him return to the tight ends room.

“At the end of the day, him being in the room is going to be good for everybody, so we’ll see how it shakes out,” Johnson said.

If Waller calls it a career, Johnson is ready to assume the additional responsibilities with an eye on doing “special” things within the offense.

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