The New York Giants traded for former Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller last March. Waller had been on a tear with the Raiders before being traded, but the injury bug began to slow him down.
Waller has missed a total of 19 games in the past three seasons, and the result of the missed games has led to him contemplating retirement. Waller finished the 2023 season with 52 receptions, 552 yards, and one touchdown in 12 games.
Waller re-aggravated his ongoing hamstring issue in Week 8, and it landed him on injured reserve. The same hamstring issue popped up in the 2022 season, also resulting in an injured reserved stint.
The same injury popping up can often take a big mental toll on a player, and it has led to Waller thinking about stepping away from the game. Waller spoke to Vic Tafur of The Athletic about the possibility that he might step away from the Giants and the game of football.
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“I have to make a decision at some point,” Waller said. “You have to be 100 percent bought in, for the grind. And I have to make sure I am bringing that to the table, or it’s a disservice to the guys I am suiting up with. I also want to give the team time, where whichever way I go, they can prepare for next season… It’s a little bit of a difficult decision, but here we are.”
Waller also indicated that he hopes to make this decision before the 2024 NFL Draft begins, which is on April 25. “That would be ideal, but I also don’t want to put that on myself,” Waller said. “It’s gotta be before summer break, for sure.”
It is strange to think that Waller, who once put together back-to-back 1,000-plus yards seasons, would be stepping away, but he has to think about his health. Whatever hamstring issues he still has appear to not be going away.
Waller may have been far more prolific on the pass-catching side of things in the past, but he has still been plenty productive even with his injury issues. Should he decide to return for what would be his ninth season, he may need to look into a new approach to get him through his first full season since 2020.
The Giants currently have a few tight ends options behind Waller, such as Daniel Bellinger, Chris Manhertz, Jack Stoll and Tyree Jackson. None have had production anywhere near Waller, though.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.