New York Giants tight end Darren Waller, perhaps frustrated by his ongoing injury battles as he sought to make a fresh start following his trade from the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round draft pick, contemplated retirement earlier this year, the New York Post reported.
Waller, who has been trying to launch a music career in his spare time and who last year came out with his second album, "Walking Miracle," will, in fact, return to the Giants for a second year at a cap hit of $14 million, $10 million of which is his base salary. But with his future beyond this year uncertain, the Giants are unlikely to touch his contract should they need additional cap space.
The 31-year-old Waller appeared in 12 games as a Giant, with 11 starts. He caught 52 of 74 pass targets for 552 yards and one touchdown, a disappointing showing considering how unguardable he looked during the spring and summer before his injury woes resurfaced.
General manager Joe Schoen told reporters at the end of the season that he had no regrets over having made the trade for Waller, who posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2019 and 2020 with the Raiders.
“He was still a productive part of our offense when available,” Schoen said. “I would do that (trade) again every day of the week.”
The problem, of course, has been Waller's availability, largely driven by hamstring issues that saw him miss five games this past season. Between that and his budding music career, it's easy to see why Waller might have been at a crossroads regarding his future.
With the plan being for Waller to return for a second season with the Giants, who have a sneaky need at tight end, it bears watching to see how well he rebounds from what was a forgettable first season with his new team.
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