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.
Jun 9, 2024 5:18 PM EST
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.
Jun 3, 2024 10:01 AM EST
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.
May 23, 2024 2:33 PM EST
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.
Apr 18, 2024 9:54 PM EST
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.
Mar 2, 2024 2:40 PM EST
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.
Mar 1, 2024 2:05 PM EST
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. His 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.
Jan 7, 2024 9:08 PM EST
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.
Jan 7, 2024 6:10 PM EST
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.
Jan 6, 2024 11:15 AM EST
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.
Dec 31, 2023 5:25 PM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (knee) popped up on the team's injury report this week, but he has no official designation for Sunday, logging full practices on Thursday and Friday. Having a healthy Waller is huge for the floundering New York's offense. The Rams struggle to defend opposing tight ends and Waller is far and away the best receiving option on the Giants. With the matchup in his favor and Tyrod Taylor under center, Waller's ceiling is as high as it's been since early in the season. He's ranked as a low-end TE1 for fantasy championship weekend.
Dec 30, 2023 10:51 AM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (knee) was a full participant in practice on Thursday a day after being limited in the team's walkthrough. Waller is managing a knee injury but should be fine to play this Sunday against the visiting Los Angeles Rams. The 31-year-old returned from Injured Reserve due to a hamstring injury in Week 15 and has six receptions on 11 targets for 72 yards and no touchdowns in two games since his return. He saw a bump up to 63% of the offensive snaps in the Week 16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, perhaps signaling that he'll have an even bigger workload in Week 17. Waller should also receive a slight boost now that quarterback Tyrod Taylor has taken over for rookie Tommy Devito. Consider Waller a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 for fantasy purposes this weekend.
Dec 28, 2023 4:08 PM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (knee) is listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's walkthrough practice. He's apparently working through a knee injury heading into the Week 17 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, so his status will be worth monitoring for the rest of the week. The former Raider returned from a five-game absence in Week 15, but he's caught just six passes for 72 yards and no touchdowns in two games since. The Rams have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, so he remains on the fantasy radar despite his lackluster showing this season. If he can't play, Daniel Bellinger will operate as the team's lead tight end, though he doesn't have much upside.
Dec 27, 2023 2:50 PM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller caught two passes for 32 yards in the team's 33-25 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The veteran dropped a slant in the first quarter which had the chance to find paydirt. He was also underthrown in the fourth quarter when he seemingly had a clear path to the end zone. Waller did not log a touch until the final drive of the game when he finally caught his two passes. With inconsistent quarterback play and questions about who will start in Week 17, Waller will be a low-end TE1 or TE2 against the Rams.
Dec 25, 2023 10:30 PM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) returned from an extended stint on the sidelines in Week 15, only to have his snap count limited. Still, he turned 42 percent of the snaps into four catches for 40 yards. Waller is still listed on the injury report but has logged full practices all week. He should see his involvement increase weekly as concerns for reinjury wane. The former Pro Bowl tight end immediately becomes the alpha receiving option on a New York team desperate for playmakers in the passing game. The 31-year-old is ranked in the TE2 range for Week 16 but offers just as much upside, if not more, than others listed near him, especially if he's allowed to play a regular allotment of snaps.
Dec 23, 2023 10:52 AM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller secured four of his six targets for 40 yards in the team's 24-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints. This was the veteran's first game back from an extended stint on injured reserve with a hamstring ailment. Waller tied with Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson for the team lead in receptions and finished just behind Slayton in yards. The majority of his production, however, came from one 29-yard catch in the second quarter. The entire New York passing game is still one of the worst in the NFL. Waller will be a fringe starting tight end next week against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dec 17, 2023 8:10 PM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) is officially active in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday despite coming into this game with a questionable tag on the final injury report. It was pretty obvious Waller would be active once the Giants officially activated him from Injured Reserve on Saturday. Sunday's game will be the 31-year-old veteran tight end's first action since Week 8, though, so he will have his playing time limited as the G-Men ease him back into the fold after such a long layoff. As such, it will make Waller a pretty risky option for fantasy lineups in the first round of the playoffs in most leagues. Daniel Bellinger, who had been the top pass-catching tight end with Waller sidelined, could still have a decent role on Sunday, but he's off the fantasy radar.
Dec 17, 2023 12:24 PM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) has been activated from injured reserve ahead of Week 15 versus the New Orleans Saints. He was listed as questionable after practicing in a limited capacity on Friday. However, his activation suggests he will suit up on Sunday afternoon. Although the Giants' offense has some question marks with Tommy Devito at quarterback, Waller should slot in as one of his top targets. Therefore, he's a low-end TE1 in fantasy football for the time being.
Dec 16, 2023 4:14 PM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (hamstring), who remains on Injured Reserve, fully expects to play in Week 15 on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, although not with a full workload. Waller said he had "no issues" this week with his hamstring in practice, ran the full route tree and was able to open it up. The Giants have until 4 pm ET on Saturday to officially activate Waller from IR so that he can play on Sunday. The 31-year-old will eventually resume starting duties at the tight end position for the G-Men, but fantasy managers should be looking to avoid him in the first round of the playoffs in most leagues since he hasn't played in a game since Week 8 and will see limited snaps if he's indeed active. Before his injury, Waller had 36 receptions for 384 yards and only one touchdown in eight games played.
Dec 15, 2023 2:03 PM EST
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) has been designated to return from Injured Reserve and will practice on Thursday. Waller has been feeling better and was hoping to practice this week, so it looks like he'll get his wish. However, it doesn't mean he'll be officially activated from IR by Saturday or play in the Week 15 game against the New Orleans Saints this weekend. The 31-year-old was initially injured on Oct. 29 and hasn't played since, so whenever he does take the field again on game day, fantasy managers shouldn't expect Waller to have his typical normal workload as New York's starting TE. Especially now that most fantasy leagues are in the playoffs now, Waller will be an extremely risky option for starting lineups if he's officially activated from IR and is active this Sunday.
Dec 14, 2023 12:20 PM EST
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