New York Giants tight end Darren Waller announced his retirement on Sunday. There was talk about this, so the news isn't surprising to many. The 2015 sixth-round pick spent his first two seasons in Baltimore before spending five seasons with Oakland/Las Vegas. It was with the Raiders where he made a name for himself, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns and becoming widely known as one of the NFL's top tight ends. Unfortunately, Waller battled injuries over the years, and he finished his final season in the league with the Giants by amassing only 552 yards and a touchdown off 52 catches. But with Waller now out of the equation, Daniel Bellinger and rookie Theo Johnson are the favorites to fill the void at the position moving ahead, with both men likely battling throughout training camp for the right to sit atop the depth chart.
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller is expected to make a decision on his 2024 playing status by next week's mini-camp, and people in and around the organization expect he will announce his retirement, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. Waller has had a tough time staying healthy lately, as he's missed 19 games over the last three years with lingering lower-body injuries. The 31-year-old posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders in 2019 and 2020, but he hasn't reached 700 yards since. If Waller decides to call it a career, target competition for No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers will be even further reduced. Meanwhile, Daniel Bellinger and rookie Theo Johnson will likely compete for TE1 duties. Either player will have limited upside in Daniel Jones' offense. Whether Waller continues to play or not, his career exceeded expectations considering he was a converted wide receiver and had fewer than 200 receiving yards to his name in the three years before his 2019 breakout season.
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller, who has been contemplating retirement this offseason, has not been in attendance for the team's voluntary organized team activities this week, and there is no word on when he expects to join the team. All signs are pointing toward Waller hanging up his cleats after posting a disappointing 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown on 74 targets in 12 starts in his first year in the Big Apple last year. The 31-year-old doesn't have any guarantees left on his contract, and the Giants could free up $11.625 million in salary cap space if he's a post-June 1 cut. He has missed at least five games due to injuries in each of the last three seasons. If Waller officially calls it quits, Daniel Bellinger figures to serve as the team's primary pass-catching tight end in 2024.
Giants Haven't Given Darren Waller A Deadline For His Decision
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen said on Thursday that he hasn't given tight end Darren Waller a deadline on his retirement decision this offseason. "Hopefully he's going to make a decision in the short term, but we're giving him time and space to make a decision on what he wants to do," Schoen said. Waller said in early March that he'd have a decision soon, but that hasn't come to fruition for the 31-year-old. A hamstring injury limited him to 12 games in 2023, and he finished with 52 catches for 552 yards and one touchdown. Waller is no longer in the prime of his career like he was with the Las Vegas Raiders and will be a pretty big injury risk as a low-end TE1 in fantasy if he decides to return for another season in 2024.
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller said on Friday that he is "still undecided" on if he is going to continue his playing career in 2024. A previous report on Friday suggested that while Waller had considered retirement after last season, he was expected to return this year. The 31-year-old dealt with more hamstring issues in his first year in the Big Apple and finished with a disappointing 52 catches on 74 targets for 552 yards and only one touchdown in 12 games played. He's due to make $10.5 million in base salary in 2024 and count $14 million against the salary cap. The Giants have no intention of making him a cap casualty. The only other tight end on the roster with substantial playing time is Daniel Bellinger, who is set to enter his third season in 2024. At this point in his career, Waller is an extreme injury risk as a TE1 in fantasy.
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller reportedly considered retirement after a disappointing first season in New York in 2023, according to sources. Waller was injured again last year and had just one touchdown in 12 games played in the Big Apple. The 31-year-old veteran will not walk away, though, and has chosen to return in 2024. He's due to make $10.5 million in base salary this year and count $14 million on the salary cap. Waller will not be an offseason cap casualty, according to a source. In 2019 and 2020, Waller had 197 catches, 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. But hamstring injuries caused him to miss 14 games in 2021 and 22 with the Raiders, and hamstring issues resurfaced again in 2023. He'll be a massive TE1 injury risk in fantasy this fall.
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller caught five of his six targets for 45 yards in the team's Week 18 upset victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He briefly left the game in the first half but was able to return quickly. Waller's stat line was a microcosm for his 2023 campaign. Despite being the prized offseason addition for the G-Men, Waller rarely boomed for fantasy football. He was often just average, even in rare games when the Giants' passing offense was humming. The veteran did not post back-to-back double-digit PPR fantasy points games at all this season. Waller finishes the season with 52 catches for 552 yards and just one touchdown.
Darren Waller Questionable To Return Versus Philly
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (stinger) is questionable to return to Sunday's meeting with the Eagles. The Giants are up big in this one, and with New York not heading to the postseason, Waller's day is likely over. If that's the case, he'll finish with two catches for 27 yards. Of course, fantasy managers may be left wondering if the injury is something that will impact him throughout the offseason.
Darren Waller Remains A Low-End TE1 Option Against Philadelphia
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller is a much safer option with a veteran quarterback under center. After being shut out for nearly the entire game against Philadelphia two weeks ago, Waller has caught seven passes for 83 yards in just over 60 minutes of game action. The numbers don't pop off of the screen, but it's significantly better than the near-goose egg the veteran was putting together with Tommy Devito throwing passes. The Philadelphia Eagles are a below-average defense against tight ends, and with Tyrod Taylor under center, Waller may be able to string together his second-straight double-digit PPR performance.
Darren Waller Scores Double-Digit PPR Points Against Los Angeles
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller secured five of his six targets for 51 yards in the team's narrow home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It's just the fourth time this season that New York's prized offseason addition hit the double-digit mark for PPR fantasy points and his first since Week 7. Still, it was a rather disappointing effort from Waller, considering Tyrod Taylor threw for over 300 yards and the Rams entered the game struggling to defend tight ends. Waller and the rest of the Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles in next week's season finale.
