Darren Waller has informed the Giants that he is retiring
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller has informed the team that he plans to retire, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
It was known that Darren Waller was considering retirement for some time, going back to before the NFL Draft, and now he has made it official. He retires at the age of 31 and after just one season with the Giants. He found most of his success with the Las Vegas Raiders, before being traded to New York for the 2023 NFL season.
As a result of Waller’s retirement, Daniel Bellinger and fourth-round rookie Theo Johnson out of Penn State are expected to take on bigger roles from the tight end room for the Giants. It is a younger tight end room, but the Giants have been operating under the assumption that Waller likely would retire, which played into the selection of Theo Johnson in the fourth round of this year’s draft.
Waller came into the league in 2015 with the Baltimore Ravens, and spent two seasons with the team as a wide receiver, not getting much playing time at all. He then transitioned to the Oakland Raiders, where he spent one year as a wide receiver and not getting much playing time. He then transitioned to tight end in 2019, which was the first of Waller’s two 1,000-yard seasons, resulting in him getting a long-term deal. After the Raiders moved to Las Vegas, Waller remained an important part of the team’s offense, but he began dealing with injuries in 2021, and that continued for the next two seasons before his retirement.
Of course, part of Waller’s story is that he overcame substance abuse, and he has been a positive example for mental health in recent years. Hopefully, Waller can continue to be a positive influence in that area after his retirement.
Giants’ tight end plan for the 2024 season
As noted above, the Giants’ tight end room figures to mainly showcase Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson. Johnson is a rookie who is very athletic, and has been viewed as a raw receiving tight end who could play a similar role as Waller did. Bellinger is more of a traditional tight end who was relegated to more of a blocking role in 2023 due to the presence of Waller, but he showed to be useful in the passing game in his rookie year in 2022.
The Giants also made some veteran signings this offseason as well, which made it clear that they were planning for life without Waller. New York signed Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz this offseason, and both are viewed as blocking tight ends who could take up that third tight end role. They are both veterans who could also slot into that second tight end role if Johnson is viewed as not ready yet.
It will be interesting to see how the Giants utilize their tight ends in the 2024 season now that Waller is officially out of the picture.
Darren Waller Plans to Retire from NFL at Age 31; Played for Giants, Raiders, Ravens
Cooper Neill/Getty Images
After contemplating retirement this offseason, New York Giants veteran tight end Darren Waller has officially called it quits.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Waller informed the Giants on Sunday that he plans to retire after nine seasons in the NFL.
Sources: #Giants TE Darren Waller has informed the team he plans to retire, walking away at the age of 31 after just one season with NYG.
Waller hasn’t attended workouts, and the team had known for some time he may not play. Now, he’s officially let them know before minicamp. pic.twitter.com/1ZTmj1VX2m
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 9, 2024
The Giants subsequently confirmed the news.
“We have great respect for Darren as a person and player,” the Giants said in a statement, via Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “We wish him nothing but the best.”
Rapoport added the Giants will gain $11.6 million in cap space after the transaction.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan previously reported that Waller was expected to make a decision on his future by the start of mandatory minicamp, and many already believed he was leaning toward retirement, so his decision doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
Waller made indications throughout the offseason that he was ready to call it a career. He told The Athletic’s Dan Duggan in April that he was “evaluating my overall commitment level” to football. He also went through a public divorce with Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum after being married for a year, and he began putting more focus into his music career.
The 31-year-old has also endured a recent run of trying years. He was limited to 12 games last season in his first year in New York after being traded from the Las Vegas Raiders, his third straight year missing at least five games. He posted 52 catches for 552 yards and one touchdown in 2023.
The Giants were operating under the assumption that Waller wouldn’t be back throughout most of the offseason, so the team added veterans Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz and 2024 fourth-round pick Theo Johnson to a tight ends room that includes returnees Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager and Tyree Jackson.
Waller—who was a sixth-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens in the 2015 draft—ends his career with 350 career receptions for 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2020.
