One year after announcing his retirement, Darren Waller is returning to the NFL!
The New York Giants are finalizing a trade that will send TE Darren Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick to the Miami Dolphins, per NFL Insider Tom Pelissero. The Giants get a 2026 sixth-round draft pick in return.
In March, former NFL Head Coach Jon Gruden asked TE Darren Waller if he would ever play football again. “The only two people I will listen to, I will say, are you (Gruden) and Frank Smith,” Waller said on the Gruden Goes Long show.
Frank Smith was the Raiders‘ tight end coach from 2018 to 2020. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. Following the trade, Darren Waller is now reunited with his former coach Frank Smith.
“They got sports cars down there..everybody down there runs a 4.3,” Waller said, referring to Miami Dolphins wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. “No doubt you fit in good with that crowd,” Gruden replied.
Background
Darren Waller, who will turn 33 in September, has played eight seasons in the NFL, accumulating 350 receptions, 4,124 receiving yards, and 20 touchdowns.
The Baltimore Ravens drafted Darren Waller in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Waller only appeared in 18 games during his two years with the team. The tight end battled addiction and was suspended twice by the league for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Waller missed the entire 2017 season due to suspension.
Things started to turn for the tight end in 2018 when Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden signed Darren Waller off the Ravens’ practice squad. Gruden described the tight end as “the most impressive athlete on that (Ravens) team.”
The 6-foot-6 tight end splashed onto the scene in 2019 with the Oakland Raiders. He finished with 90 receptions, 1,145 receiving yards, and three touchdowns, finishing second among tight ends in receptions and receiving yards, trailing only All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.
Waller followed up his breakout season with a record-setting performance in 2020. Darren Waller led all tight ends with 107 receptions and broke the Raiders’ single-season franchise receptions record, which wide receiver Tim Brown had held for 23 years (1997). All-Pro TE Brock Bowers broke Darren Waller’s record in 2024.
The Las Vegas Raiders, who were led by GM Dave Ziegler and HC Josh McDaniels at the time, signed TE Darren Waller to a three-year extension worth $51 million in 2022. However, the 2022 season was a forgettable one for the Pro Bowl tight end, who dealt with a lingering hamstring injury and missed eight games.
One year after inking him to a three-year extension, the Raiders traded Darren Waller to the New York Giants in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick. He only appeared in twelve games for the Giants. Darren Waller retired following the 2023 season.
Darren Waller’s Future Outlook With Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have been making moves this week. On June 30th, the Miami Dolphins traded CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Twenty-four hours later, Miami acquired TE Darren Waller via trade.
Darren Waller joins Miami’s high-powered offense led by QB Tua Tagovailoa, RB De’Von Achane, FB Alec Ingold, and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. With the departure of TE Jonnu Smith, 111 targets have become available in this Miami offense. Head Coach Mike McDaniel comes from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. A versatile tight end is a key component of their offense. According to Pro Football Focus, Jonnu Smith lined up all over the formation last season – 41% at the slot, 32% inline, 24% out wide, and 4% in the backfield. Expect to see something similar from Waller in 2025.
If Darren Waller remains healthy, don’t be surprised if he has a big season in South Beach.
– Follow Dan Loya on X @DLoya_NFL
