Former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller has decided to hang up his cleats and retire from the NFL at 31 years old after only a single season with the New York Giants.
Waller made the Giants aware of his decision before the start of their minicamp, NFL Network’s insider Ian Rapoport reports. The Giants confirmed his retirement in a statement Sunday afternoon.
“We have great respect for Darren as a person and player,” the statement reads. “We wish him nothing but the best.”
New York’s mandatory minicamp kicks off Tuesday, June 11. The Giants traded a third-round draft pick to acquire Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders prior to the 2023 campaign.
Waller discussed the agonizing decision in a YouTube video released Sunday afternoon. He mentioned his recent divorce from WNBA All-Star and champion Kelsey Plum and described a frightening medical situation off the grid iron last season that “forced me into a position to re-evaluate.”
Waller did not go into detail on what the medical condition was, but described a scene that led to a hospital stay midway through the season while he was away from the team with a hamstring injury sustained in Week 8 against the New York Jets.
“Last season in New Jersey, we played the Jets on October 29,” Waller said. “I got hurt that game. The following week, the Giants were playing the Raiders in Vegas. … I started to feel like this fever coming on. … The fever starts to build; I start to get the chills and stuff like that. By the time I pull into my parking garage at my condo and get out of the car, I’m, like, shaking pretty violently, like uncontrollably.”
Waller said that he “couldn’t breathe” in his bed the next morning and called 911 immediately. He said that paramedics responded and that he ended up spending 3 1/2 days in a hospital.
Embed from Getty Images“Was pretty clear I almost just lost my life,” Waller said. “I don’t know if I really feel like if I would’ve died that I would’ve felt great about how my life was going.”
Waller did not share his diagnosis, but went on to say that his focus and passions in life had changed.
“The worst possible thing for … somebody like me would be to think that I am supposed to choose one lane of life, one path and stick with it like most of the world does,” Waller continued.
An eight-year NFL veteran, Waller had reportedly been strongly considering retirement throughout the offseason. His decision came as no surprise to the Giants organization, which could be a reason why they selected Penn State tight end Theo Johnson in the fourth round of April’s NFL Draft. The Giants surely expected more than a season of his services when they traded for him in 2023.
Waller addressed his status on social media on June 3 amid reports that he had been contemplating retirement. He stated that he was uncertain about his future in the league and had yet to make a decision.
Waller started 12 games for the Giants in 2023, hauling in 52 receptions for 522 yards and a score. He previously played six seasons with the Raiders and made the Pro Bowl after the 2020 season. He played his first two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens starting in 2015.
Waller still had plenty of gas left in the tank from a production standpoint and would have projected atop the Giants’ depth chart had he remained with the team.
He released a music video in May describing his relationship and marital breakup with Plum. The couple announced their divorce earlier in May after a year of marriage. It is not clear if Waller intends to pursue music as a full-time career.
With Waller out of the fold, third-year tight end Daniel Bellinger leads the way as New York’s No. 1 tight end next season. Bellinger started 13 games last season, tallying 25 catches for 255 yards. Johnson and former Philadelphia Eagles starter Jack Stoll could also compete for starting time.
According to Spotrac, Waller’s retirement gives the Giants plenty of flexibility, freeing up $11.6 million in salary-cap space for the upcoming season. He will account for dead cap hits of $2.45 million in 2024 and $4.9 million in 2025.
