Giants' Darren Waller addresses retirement rumors

It was previously reported that tight end Darren Waller would return to the New York Giants for at least one more season after the 31-year-old considered retiring. 

Waller insisted during a recent chat with Dan Duggan of The Athletic he's still "undecided" about his playing future. 

"It’s really the idea of signing up for another journey," Waller explained. "It’s tough, it’s long, it requires a lot. And if you’re not fully bought into every single thing of the process, it’s going to be tough. I feel like at the end of the day, you’re doing guys a disservice if you’re not all the way in. So those are the kinds of things I’m taking into account."

Injuries limited Waller to 20 regular-season games across the 2021 and 2022 campaigns while with the Las Vegas Raiders, but it was hoped last summer that he could enter Week 1 of the 2023 season as the primary target for Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. 

However, Waller ultimately missed five games with a hamstring issue and also couldn't save a New York offense that struggled long before Jones went down with a torn ACL on Nov. 5. 

In the end, Waller recorded 52 receptions for 552 yards and one touchdown in 12 contests for Big Blue. The Giants finished the season with a record of 6-11. 

"That’s part of the equation," Waller said about his injury history impacting his call. "But that’s not the driving force behind making the decision. It isn’t just frustration from a health standpoint. It’s a lot deeper than that."

While Waller shared that the Giants "haven’t put an ultimatum on me," New York general manager Joe Schoen may be preparing to move on from Jones, running back Saquon Barkley and starting safety Xavier McKinney this offseason. 

Waller acknowledged he "could go either direction" even though he has three years and $40M remaining on his contract. 

"I’m not just coming back to collect an extra check, because that’s not what I’m trying to do or who I’m trying to be," Waller said. "At this point in my life, I’m blessed to be able to be more than OK financially. Plus, if the only reason I’m doing something is because of an amount of money, I know that’s not a decision I need to be making." 

Waller likely understands he has little value as a tradable asset and won't be part of a contending team if he plays for the Giants later this year. 

He told Duggan he feels "like there’s plenty left in the tank," but it also sounds like he isn't sure he wants to endure all that comes with preparing for and playing in what probably will be another losing season.