In not-so-surprising news that the Giants and Giants fans likely expected, starting tight end Darren Waller is calling it quits. He informed the Giants on Sunday that he is hanging up his cleats at the age of 31.
The Giants are holding their mandatory minicamp from June 11th – June 13th, and the expectation was they would understand where Waller’s head was by then. They found out on June 9th that he is retiring.
With the announcement coming post-June 1st, the Giants do get some benefit on the salary cap. The team will see $11.9 million in cap savings this year. Waller is forfeiting a base salary of $10.525 million this season and had already forgone a $200,000 workout bonus as he considered what was next for his career.
What-If: On the Field
Waller’s tenure with the Giants is filled with what-if’s. Big Blue traded a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, #100 overall, to the Raiders to acquire Waller. He was quickly penciled in as a new primary target quarterback Daniel Jones. It was hard to argue that logic, as Waller came to New York as a past Pro Bowler in 2020 and had two separate 1,000 yard receiving seasons.
In 2023, Waller played in only 12 games but struggled to make a meaningful impact. He caught 52 passes for 552 yards (10.6 yards per catch) but only one touchdown. He suffered through a hamstring injury that cost him five games during the season. Despite missing those five games, his 52 receptions ranked second on the team behind Wan’Dale Robinson and his 552 yards trailed only Darius Slayton on the team.
The veteran presence of Waller was another factor in the Giants trading for him. With a relatively young and unproven wide receiver room in 2023, New York was over compensating a bit at tight end. With the injuries suffered on offense, none more impactful than Jones, the offense did not perform to the standards that Head Coach Brian Daboll expects. The WR room has changed this off-season with the drafting of Nabers and the signing of veteran wideout Allen Robinson. The Robinson signing in particular points to the expectation of Waller retiring.
What-If: 2024 NFL Draft
It is fair to wonder what implications Waller’s retirement would have had on the Giants 2024 Draft which started on April 25th. Only the Giants and Waller truly know who understood what when pertaining to Waller’s decision, but the what-if’s are there. As discussed on The Sport Truth podcast this past week, the selection of Malik Nabers at #6 overall is a good one but one of the what-if’s could have been trading back a few picks, accumulating an extra pick or two and still having a chance to select Brock Bowers, a potentially generational tight end talent that went to the Las Vegas Raiders at pick #13.
Remaining at Tight End for the Giants entering the 2024 season are returning players Daniel Bellinger and Lawrence Cager. They also drafted Theo Johnson out of Penn State in the fourth round. Johnson’s selection can be seen as another move with the expectation that Waller would be retiring.
In Summary
With his playing career now at its end, here is hoping that Waller will continue to make a positive impact on the lives of others. He has told his story of addiction and is a great role model in turning one’s life around for the positive. He’ll also likely continue to work on music.
The Giants released a statement on Sunday saying “We have great respect for Darren as a person and player. We wish him nothing but the best.”
Written by: Jason Krom
Stats by espn.com
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