Recent New York Giants rumors have revolved around the future of tight end Darren Waller. After spending one season with Big Blue, the veteran tight end has been contemplating retirement this offseason.
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, if recent Giants rumors are to be believed, that is the route Darren Waller will be taking. People within the organization are expecting him to retire. People close to him believe that he is leaning toward retirement as well.
Waller has said that an official decision will be coming soon. With the mandatory minicamp beginning next week, it is expected to come before that, allowing the Giants to figure out what to do with the tight end position in 2024.
To this point, he hasn’t taken part in any team activities. New York has seemingly been operating under the assumption that Darren Waller will not be returning based on how many additions they have made.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Giants selected Theo Johnson, who has elite pass-catching traits, out of Penn State in the fourth round. In free agency, the team signed Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz, joining a depth chart that already has Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager and Tyree Jackson.
The Giants originally acquired Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders last offseason in exchange for a third-round pick. He was expected to help elevate the team’s passing offense, providing Daniel Jones with a go-to weapon.
Alas, things didn’t pan out as well as anyone had hoped. He dealt with hamstring injuries again, playing in only 12 games. He finished the 2023 season with 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown.
Owed $10.525 million for the 2024 season, Darren Waller could earn another $1.275 million in per-game roster bonuses. However, none of that money is guaranteed. He also missed out on $200,000 by skipping spring workouts, as retirement seems like the likeliest outcome at this point.
Needing to open up some salary cap space, a retirement would certainly help provide Big Blue with some more wiggle room. They currently have the least amount of cap space in the NFL and will need some to operate in the regular season.
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