Darren Waller has been in the NFL for eight seasons and is coming off his first year with the New York Giants. But now the former Pro Bowl tight end isn’t sure if he wants to keep playing pro football.
Unlike others who walk away when their talent begins to dissipate due to age, Waller is still just 31, and tight end happens to be a position where some players play into their late 30s, but that doesn’t mean everyone is built for the long haul.
When healthy, Waller has shown he can still be an effective player. That’s why the Giants traded the 100th overall pick for him last offseason instead of adding more youth to their core. Yet, Waller has his own battles that he’s struggled with over the years, with his inability to stay healthy being his biggest drawback.
He played in 12 games last season for the Giants, recording 552 receiving yards on 52 receptions while adding a touchdown. But before that, Waller appeared in just nine games for the Raiders in 2022 and 11 the year prior. He hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2020, during his lone Pro Bowl season. All those injuries have taken a toll on Waller to the point where he legitimately seems to be considering retirement.
Darren Waller admits he’s undecided on playing for New York Giants in 2024
Last week, we heard rumblings about Darren Waller considering retirement, but both his agent and the New York Giants quickly tried to deny it, saying he’d be back in 2024. But when Waller got a chance to speak, we got an entirely different story.
“I’m undecided at the moment. It’s really the idea of signing up for another journey. It’s tough, it’s long, it requires a lot. And if you’re not fully bought into every single thing of the process, it’s going to be tough. I feel like at the end of the day, you’re doing guys a disservice if you’re not all the way in. So those are the kinds of things I’m taking into account.”
“That’s part of the equation,” Waller said of his injury history. “But that’s not the driving force behind making the decision. It isn’t just frustration from a health standpoint. It’s a lot deeper than that.”
Darren Waller admitting he’s unsure about playing in 2024
As mentioned, Waller would be doing a disservice to his team if he’s not all-in on playing football. He can’t be going 100% on the field if he’s always worried about getting hurt again.
Ultimately, fans won’t love hearing that a player as talented as Waller is considering retirement, but no one else has been in his cleats. Only he knows what he’s fought through and how much energy it takes to keep going.
Eventually, Waller will make a final decision on whether he plays or not, but we just don’t know when quite yet.
“I know the team is getting prepared for a new season, so I’m not trying to have it be this drawn-out thing,” Waller said. “I’ll be deciding pretty soon, but I haven’t made a decision yet.”
If Waller does walk away, the Giants could grow enamored with a prospect like Georgia’s Brock Bowers with the sixth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Otherwise, the starting job will belong to Daniel Bellinger, who has posted back-to-back 250 receiving yard seasons.
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