Giants trade un-retired Darren Waller to Miami Dolphins
Darren Waller with the Giants in 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Thirteen months ago, Darren Waller informed the Giants he was retiring. Now the tight end has changed his mind and will return — to another team.
Waller was traded to the Dolphins on Tuesday, a league source confirmed to Newsday. The Giants will receive a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and also will send the Dolphins a conditional seventh-round pick in 2027.
Waller played one season with the Giants in 2023, catching 52 passes for 552 yards and one touchdown in 12 games. It was a far cry from his highs with the Raiders when he had consecutive seasons of at least 1,100 receiving yards in 2019-20.
He reached the Pro Bowl in that 2020 season but hamstring injuries kept him from returning to that level. The Giants traded for him in 2023 for a third-round pick but Waller’s tenure proved inconsistent.
Waller had eight catches for 86 yards against the Dolphins in Week 5 and two weeks later, he had seven catches for a season-high 98 yards. But in Week 8, Waller suffered a hamstring injury that placed him on injured reserve until the final four games of the season.
In June last year, Waller ended his eight-year career after not participating in the Giants’ offseason program. He later released a song explaining his decision as he began dabbling more into music.
Waller will be on his fourth NFL team and looking to regain his form. The Giants moved on and revamped their tight end room.
Theo Johnson had a successful rookie season last year with 43 catches for 331 yards and a touchdown and Daniel Bellinger appeared in all 17 games, as did veteran Chris Manhertz. The Giants also drafted Thomas Fidone II in the sixth round this year.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
