Former Raiders star tight end, Darren Waller has recently been in the news for his relationship drama. Aside from this, he is also contemplating about his future in the NFL as a player. On Monday, it was reported by Adam Schefter that he will likely be retiring.
Career of Darren Waller
It is very well known that at the beginning of the career for Waller, the difficulties definitely were shown. He was a member of the Baltimore Ravens to begin where he struggled to play on the field.
After two years in Baltimore, Waller was only able to produce 103 receiving yards.
It was Jon Gruden who discovered him in 2018 and recruited him off of the Ravens practice squad. This discovery drastically changed the life of Waller.
He would become the number one target for quarterback, Derek Carr and go on to have 1100 yards in his first season. In 2020, Waller would be honored with the Comeback Player of the Year award. The following season was even better as he broke the franchise record for receptions in a season for the Raiders.
2021 and 2022 were filled with a multitude of different injuries for Waller as he missed almost half of both seasons. However, he did assist the Raiders in their most recent playoff berth in their wildcard loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Downfall
Waller would be traded to the New York Giants in 2023 and has not endured similar success in a different atmosphere. His contract with New York is valid until 2027 should he decide not to retire and he will be awarded $14 million this season.
“It’s all good when you got them yards receiving,” Waller said. “Until them cards you reading ain’t all great.”
Waller seems to be expressing his emotions in this video as he is also dealing with a divorce with current Aces guard, Kelsey Plum.
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