Darren Waller, the tight end for the New York Giants, has retired from football. According to reports from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Waller informed the Giants of his retirement decision. Last week, it was reported that the Giants were expecting this announcement and that Waller would confirm before the start of mandatory minicamp this week.
Waller joined the Giants last year through a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. During his time in New York, he had 52 catches for 552 yards and a touchdown. Rumors of his retirement emerged early in the offseason, but he did not participate in any team workouts.
Before joining the Raiders, Waller began his career in Baltimore where he was suspended for the entire 2017 season due to violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Raiders signed him off Baltimore’s practice squad in 2018 and he had a breakout performance with 197 catches for 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns over two seasons. Injuries to his hamstring limited Waller’s availability in both Las Vegas and with the Giants. With Waller’s retirement, the Giants now have several tight ends on their roster including Daniel Bellinger, Jack Stoll, Chris Manhertz, Lawrence Cager, Tyree Jackson and fourth-round pick Theo Johnson.