After months of anticipation, tight end Darren Waller has retired from the NFL. A disappointment, considering he was just a New York Giant for one season. Traded to Big Blue after five seasons with the Raiders, many thought he would be a top weapon for an offense lacking in them.
We couldn’t be any more wrong. Waller missed five games due to a hamstring injury he suffered against the New York Jets in week eight.
Even when he was healthy, he wasn’t the player he used to be. Despite being second on the team in receiving, that’s not saying much considering the lackluster offense New York was running.
Waller finished the 2023 season with 52 catches for 552 yards and one touchdown. Just one.
DARREN WALLER TOUCHDOWN ON NATIONAL TIGHT ENDS DAY
— evin (@KayvonOjulari) October 22, 2023
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Good Riddance?
Darren Waller never lived up to expectations with the Giants. There was hope he would come back and be a valuable weapon for them. However, when the tight end mentioned in March he wasn’t completely bought into returning for another season of football, red flags were raised.
His injury history was a small factor in his thoughts on retirement, but an impactful one nonetheless.
More notably, his divorce from WNBA player Kelsey Plum may have made things worse. His retirement thoughts occurred before the divorce was announced to the public. But, you can’t help but think it also impacted him.
Romance issues can affect both men and women in negative ways. For Waller, it didn’t help his mental health losing someone he loved so dearly.
Now, I would be lying if I said I didn’t see the divorce coming. Long-distance relationships are tough. With Plum playing for the Las Vegas Aces and Waller moving across the country to play for the Giants, it makes it hard to be able to support each other from a distance.
Everything I just said about the relationship issues or even the injuries as a reason for his retirement can be true or false behind his decision.
Hearing It From The Man Himself
Below is a video from Waller himself behind his decision to retire.
He talked about the hamstring injury against the Jets, and how he stayed back the week after while the team headed to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders.
More notably, he mentioned getting a fever and not being able to breathe at one point. It led him to call emergency services, and it was heartbreaking to hear there was no one around him to help him at that point.
Almost losing his life, it was an experience he wouldn’t ever forget. He talked about not being satisfied with his life if he did pass away due to that unfortunate occurrence, which was eye-popping because again, none of us knew what he was going through.
He didn’t really mention the divorce as much as I thought, but it’s understandable.
At the end of the day, we wish nothing but the best for Darren Waller. He’s gone through a lot throughout his career. If his heart isn’t in it with football, who are we to criticize him for it?
Waller, 31, ends his career with 86 games played. He finishes with 350 catches for 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns. His best season was in 2020 when he had 107 catches for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns with the Raiders, which helped him make his first and only Pro Bowl appearance.
New York frees almost $12 million in cap space with Waller’s retirement. Now, they will roll into next season with Theo Johnson and Daniel Bellinger as their starting tight ends.
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Featured Image: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
